One Wrong Step
by Jesus' girl 4ever
Summary: Rey and Kylo's standoff lasted a couple minutes more, when suddenly, the chasm behind Rey opened further, and both of the fighters tumbled backward into the abyss. Darkness engulfed them. Neither knew how this one wrong step would change the course of the galaxy. Time Travel AU.
1. Prologue

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Prologue**

The snow battered the two opponents as each struggled to gain mastery over the other. Rey, having never touched a lightsaber in her life until this adventure, was at a strong disadvantage, and she knew it.

What was worse was that her adversary knew it, too. "You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the Force!" Kylo Ren declared as he pushed against Rey, the locked blue and red sabers casting an eerie glow around the two.

Rey paused. "The Force," she breathed, remembering now her discovery of her ability to use the mystical energy field. She closed her eyes, calming her mind and reaching out to the Force. She then began to try to shove Ren away from her with it, but he retaliated in kind. Their standoff lasted a couple minutes more, when suddenly, the chasm behind Rey opened further, and both of the fighters tumbled backward into the abyss. Darkness engulfed them. Neither knew how this one wrong step would change the course of the galaxy.

 _A/N: Hi...so...yeah, I disappeared off the face of the earth for a while. Sorry about that. I know I've promised readers of "Light Up The Dark" a sequel, and that will be coming soon. Promise. Until then, here's this to tide you over. And I know the prologue is short. As soon as I get one (ONE, I promise) review, I'll go ahead and post chapter 1, which is complete._


	2. Truce

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 1: Truce**

Rey groaned as she opened her eyes. "What happened?" she wondered aloud as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Ren said from a few feet away.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Well, neither did I!" He reached over and grabbed his lightsaber, activating it. Rey glanced around for hers, stretching out her hand and pulling it towards herself, as she had done what seemed only minutes before. They immediately continued the deadly dance they had started on Starkiller Base. Rey also took in some of the surroundings as they sparred, realizing they were on a desert planet, not unlike Jakku. However, what truly caught her attention was the lack of inhabitants. "Wait!" she called, retracting her blade.

"What?" her opponent asked, leaving his ignited.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

He looked around. "No. None at all."

"Maybe…maybe we should work together to get out of here, after which we can start trying to kill each other again."

He cocked his head. "That might not be such a bad idea."

"So, truce?" She held out her hand.

He reached out to shake it. "Truce."

"Let's go try to find civilization. Maybe there are people somewhere around here."

"There might be." The two started walking.

After several minutes, Kylo glanced around. "I sense a Force-sensitive ahead."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Well, it means there's someone else on the planet."

She nodded. "True. Which way, then?"

"Follow me." Kylo began to track the Force signature. "He's powerful, too. And extremely angry right now."

"Really?" Rey asked. "That's not good."

"Actually, anger can be a good thing. It cements one deeper into the Dark Side, you know."

"Right…and the Dark Side is the one that is capable of forcing its way into someone else's mind…" She raised her eyebrows.

"Implying that the Dark Side is evil?"

"Well, yes."

He scoffed. "You're delusional."

"Or you are."

He glared at her but fell silent as he sensed they were close to the Force-sensitive. "He's close," he whispered.

She gave him an incredulous look. "And you think the screams didn't tune me in?"

He listened. "Oh. I didn't hear them."

Rey took a deep breath before beginning to run ahead.

"Rey! Wait!" Kylo huffed and rushed after her. She stopped upon finding the source of the screams. A man with a blue lightsaber stood over a group of cowering creatures (she had never seen anything like them before), ready to kill them. She darted even closer. "Stop!" She finally stood beside him and grabbed his arm.

"Why should I? They're murderers! They killed my mother." His voice broke.

"I'm sorry; truly I am. But does that give you the right to become a murderer in return? It makes you no better than them," she said.

"You might be right." He breathed deeply before retracting his saber. Then, he looked at her. She realized that he was around her own age, with blue eyes, dark blond hair, and a strange-looking braid dangling behind his right ear. "I need to get…her. Would you wait here?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Kylo had caught up by now, and as the young man disappeared inside one of the tents, he grabbed Rey's arm. "What do you think you were doing?"

She yanked it free. "What did it look like?"

"How did you know he wasn't dangerous?"

She snorted. "He was wielding a lightsaber; I _knew_ he was rather dangerous."

"Then why did you do that?"

"Someone had to! You wouldn't have. Look; I stopped him from murdering those people, and he might know a way for us to get out of here. I'd say that, all in all, that was a good idea."

The man emerged from the tent, carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle. Rey gave him a sympathetic smile, and she and Kylo followed him to his speeder bike. "We can follow on foot," Rey suggested after he had placed his mother's body behind the seat.

"Me ride while a lady walks? Never," he said, offering her the bike.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Completely, my lady," he answered.

She shrugged and got on. "You'll have to tell me where to go; I'm afraid the two of us are quite lost."

"Of course. This way." The three trekked in silence for several minutes before Kylo finally spoke, "I'm Kylo Ren, and that's Rey."

The other man raised his eyebrows. "Related or married or…?"

"Neither!" both shouted at the same time. Rey blushed and explained, "We just happened to be traveling in the same direction at the same time, so we decided to go together."

He nodded. "I see. Do you mind if I ask why you two have lightsabers? You don't normally see Jedi out here. I should know," he added in a whisper.

"Mine was a gift from a friend; before you ask, I have no idea where she got it," Rey answered.

"I'd prefer not to say," Kylo said.

"That's fine," the man said.

"So, are you a Jedi, sir?" Rey asked after a few more moments of silence.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

She looked over at Kylo in confusion. "I thought-"

He held up a hand to quiet her. "Sir, could you tell us where we are?" he asked to cover Rey's almost-question.

"You're on Tatooine."

Kylo nodded slowly. "And who are you?"

"Oh, forgive me; Obi-Wan is always chiding me on my manners. I'm Anakin Skywalker."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Anakin," Rey said. Neither noticed Kylo Ren's mouth drop open.


	3. Leaving on a Rescue Mission

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 2: Leaving on a Rescue Mission**

Rey, Kylo, and Anakin arrived at a homestead in the middle of nowhere, with a ship nearby. Four people, a young man, two young women, and an older man, rushed out to meet them. Anakin said nothing; he merely lifted his mother's body from the back of the speeder. Rey and Kylo stayed back, allowing the family time to themselves. The younger man turned and entered a nearby building, emerging with two shovels. One he handed to Anakin, who had gently laid his mother's body down, and the other he kept. The two began to dig. The little group held a small funeral, the older man speaking (though neither Kylo nor Rey could hear what he said). Anakin knelt down beside the grave, grabbing a handful of sand and letting it fall through his fingers. After several moments of silence, a protocol droid and an astromech came forward, the astromech beeping excitedly. "R2? What are you doing here?" one of the young ladies asked.

"It seems that he's carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?" the protocol droid asked. Anakin and the lady who had spoken immediately started for the ship parked nearby. Rey and Kylo, after a quick glance at each other, followed.

Once they were in the cockpit, the lady pressed a few buttons, and a hologram of a bearded man appeared. "Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant."

The woman reached over and pressed a button on a nearby control panel.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army from here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. The Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a...Wait. Wait." He activated his lightsaber, reflecting fire from a destroyer droid. Both the man and the droid then disappeared as the holomessage ended.

"More happening on Geonosis, I feel, than what has been revealed," someone on the Coruscant end of the transmission commented.

"I agree," a dark-skinned man said. He turned to Anakin. "Anakin, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs; that is your first priority."

"Understood, Master." Anakin nodded. The transmission winked out.

"They'll never make it in time to save him; they have to come halfway across the galaxy!" the girl immediately began to argue. She pressed a button. "Look, Geonosis is less than a parsec away."

"If he's still alive," Anakin countered.

"Ani, are you just going to sit here and let him die? He's your friend, your mentor-"

"He's like my father! But you heard Master Windu; he gave me strict orders to stay here!"

"He gave you strict orders to protect me, and I'm going to help Obi-Wan. If you plan to protect me, you'll just have to come along." The two of them then started up the ship and took off.

Anakin finally remembered their tag-alongs. "Oh, right. Padmé, this is Rey, and that's Kylo. Rey, Kylo, this is Senator Padmé Amidala."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Senator," Rey said.

"And you. And please, call me Padmé."

"It's nice to meet you, Padmé. But if you two don't mind, I need to speak to Rey in private," Kylo said.

"Not at all," Padmé replied. Kylo grabbed Rey's arm and steered her away from the other two occupants of the ship. She huffed. "All right; what's the matter?"

"It's something rather strange; you won't believe me."

"Just tell me!"

"All right, then; Anakin Skywalker was the name of my grandfather before he...before he changed it."

"Your-your grandfather?"

"Yes."

"Surely it's a coincidence."

"I don't know. I know that he was from Tatooine, which is where he said we were."

"So, what? Do you think we've time-traveled or something?"

"It's possible. Even if he isn't my grandfather, which is a big if (Skywalker is not a common name), he's a Jedi. The only living Jedi in our time is Luke Skywalker."

"The one BB-8 has the map to."

"Indeed."

She sighed. "So, what are we going to do about all this, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're in the past. Are we going to try to change history?"

"I don't see why we should."

"We might be changing it just by being here."

He stopped. "I hadn't thought of that."

She sighed. "One more question. You said your grandfather changed his name. To what?"

Kylo smirked. "Ever heard of Darth Vader?"

Rey's jaw dropped. "That sweet young man became Darth Vader?"

"Indeed he did."

"Well, he isn't Vader yet. And I'm going to try to make sure that he never becomes him!" She whirled around and went back to their companions.

Padmé gave Rey a concerned look. "Is anything wrong?"

She smiled. "No, nothing's wrong; he just wanted to tell me something."

"I see."

Rey hurriedly changed the subject. "Do you mind if I ask who this Obi-Wan person is and why he needs rescuing?"

Anakin replied, "I'm Obi-Wan's Padawan, and-"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what 'Padawan' means."

"Oh; it's a Jedi apprentice. He's teaching me how to be a Jedi."

"I see."

"Anyway, we were assigned to guard Padmé because of the threats on her life. He went off to find the person who's trying to kill her, and I stayed with her. Now, apparently, he's found the one who wants her dead, but they've captured him in the process."

"So why did that other person want you to leave him?"

"Well, he and some other Jedi are, I assume, on their way to rescue him now, but we were closer, so…"

Padmé finished for him. "So neither of us was willing to leave Obi-Wan to die while they were en route."

Rey smiled. "That makes sense."

Kylo returned to the cockpit just in time to hear Anakin say, "We're coming up on Geonosis."


	4. Assembly Lines and Trials

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 3: Assembly Lines and Trials**

Rey and Kylo stood behind Anakin and Padmé as the Jedi guided the ship along the planet's surface. "We'll need to find a way to sneak in," he commented, searching the landscape.

Kylo raised his eyebrows. "I'm assuming that the normal landing platform is off-limits, then?"

"Yes," Anakin answered shortly.

"All right; just checking."

"See those columns of steam straight ahead? They're exhaust vents of some type," Padmé said.

"That'll do," Anakin agreed, navigating the ship inside one of them. Once they were on the ground, the two stood up, and, as she put on a shawl-type garment, Padmé said, "Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead. I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."

Anakin smiled. "Don't worry; I've given up trying to argue with you."

Rey and Kylo smirked and followed the pair out of the ship. Outside, they appeared at first to be in a simple cave. "Doesn't look much like a factory," Rey observed. They reached what appeared to be a dead end, but Anakin pressed a lever, and a door opened. It slid closed behind them. "No backing down now," Kylo said. They were walking down a pathway when noises began to come from behind them. They turned to see a bunch of…Rey wouldn't have known how to describe them. Giant bugs, maybe. The bugs began attacking the group, and the three with lightsabers began cutting them down while Padmé ran ahead. Anakin looked disconcerted at the sight of Kylo's blade, but he said nothing.

As soon as enough bugs had been driven back, the three rushed to join Padmé, deactivating their lightsabers. None of them, however, had expected the senator to come to a dead stop at the end of the platform. Consequently, Rey ran into Kylo, who ran into Anakin, who ran into Padmé. The end result was that all four went tumbling onto the operating assembly line below. More bugs ambushed them, but Anakin cut down most of them, with Kylo taking care of the rest. Rey mainly had to focus on not getting crushed by the various components of the conveyor belt. Anakin leapt onto a lower assembly line, with Kylo following. Rey would have, but she was too caught up in not getting killed to worry about jumping anywhere.

Ahead of her, she saw large machines crushing whatever was beneath them. She knew that she would have to time her movements carefully in order to avoid them. The first dropped and slowly began to rise. She immediately darted underneath it. She avoided the second and third the same way. She ducked beneath something else above her and bounded over mechanical claws. She saw Padmé struggling with one of the creepy bugs in front of her and rushed forward, slicing the bug in half. "Thanks," Padmé gasped.

"Don't mention it." Suddenly, another bug (Rey had to assume that these were the natives of this planet) slammed into them, knocking the girls down into an empty vat or barrel of some kind. "I have a bad feeling about this," Rey muttered, attempting to climb up the sides but finding them too steep.

"How can we get out of this?" Padmé asked, exasperated.

"I think we have a bigger problem than getting out!" Rey said, pointing above and ahead of them. Lava was flowing into similar buckets on the same track they were on.

"Oh dear."

Their barrel arrived underneath the spout. It slowly began opening but suddenly closed. The girls exchanged confused glances, especially when the vat was lowered to a nearby platform and turned on its side. The two scrambled out. Rey glanced around as bugs swarmed them, dragging them away. They were reunited with the boys, who had been captured by a bounty hunter and a group of some kind of rolling droid (nothing like BB-8, though). The four were escorted into a room with a table. Padmé sat down across from an old man. "You are holding a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm formally requesting that you…"

As Padmé continued to negotiate, Rey leaned over and whispered to Anakin, "Who is that?"

"That's Count Dooku," he replied. "He used to be a Jedi, but he turned to the Dark Side."

Rey nodded and refocused on the conversation. Padmé was saying, "And if I don't join your rebellion?"

Dooku answered, "The Republic cannot be fixed, my lady. It is time to start over."

"I know of your treaties with the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guilds, and the others, Count. I will not forsake all I have honored and worked for and betray the Republic."

"Without your cooperation, I've done all I can for you."

One of the bugs escorted the four to the throne of yet another bug. He said in his odd clicking language, "You have been charged and found guilty of espionage."

"Really wish I couldn't understand that thing," Rey murmured to Kylo, who chuckled.

"You're committing an act of war, Archduke. I hope you're prepared for the consequences," Padmé announced.

"We build weapons, Senator. That is our business. Of course we're prepared."

"Get on with it!" one of the aliens near Dooku said exasperatedly. "Carry out the sentence. I want to see her suffer!"

"Your Jedi friend is waiting for you, Senator," the bug proclaimed. "Take them to the execution arena!"

Rey, Kylo, Anakin, and Padmé were taken to two chariot-type things. Anakin and Padmé were put into one, with Rey and Kylo in the other. "How exactly do bugs execute?" Rey asked.

"I have no idea, but I doubt it's good."

"Yeah, me too." Rey glanced over at Anakin and Padmé. "Don't look now, but I see your mom coming into existence soon."

"What?" Kylo demanded.

"Well, look at them," she said, nodding her head in their direction. Anakin and Padmé had apparently taken advantage of their proximity and were kissing.

"Oh. I see." He stopped. "How'd you know that he was my mother's father?"

She shrugged. "It seems to me that 'Skywalker' and 'Solo' are very different last names; I knew your father was Han _Solo._ "

He nodded. "Makes sense." Suddenly, their chariot jerked forward, and the four were taken into the execution arena.


	5. The Battle of Geonosis

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 4: The Battle of Geonosis**

Each of the four was escorted to a different pillar, with a fifth pillar in the row with the man from the hologram chained to it. Their hands were pulled above their heads and long chains attached. "I was beginning to wonder if you got my message," Obi-Wan (at least, that's what Rey though his name was) called to Anakin.

"I retransmitted it just as you requested, Master. Then we decided to come and rescue you," he replied.

Obi-Wan glanced above him at his chained wrists. "Good job," he declared sarcastically.

The leader of the bug creatures, along with Count Dooku and the alien who apparently didn't like Padmé, stepped onto a balcony overlooking the arena and commanded, "Settle down, settle down." Once his people were quiet, he continued, "Let the executions begin!"

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin said over the screams of the crowd.

"Don't we all?" Rey asked as five large creatures entered the arena. She didn't have time to attempt to figure out what the other four were, but she knew quite well what the one herded toward her was. "Why did it have to be a rathtar?" she muttered, tears springing to her eyes unbidden at the thoughts of Han Solo that the creature brought to her mind. She shook her head to clear it. "Now's not the time for that." She began fiddling with the chains binding her wrists, trying to get loose. The rathtar's tentacles were getting too close to her for her liking, and getting loose was taking too long. Then, she remembered. "The Force," she breathed, using it to finally free herself. She threw herself to the ground to avoid a flying tentacle. "I need a weapon," she muttered, looking around for something-anything-to use. A Geonosian spear lay on the ground near her, and she called it to her hand. "That'll work," she commented, whirling to face the rathtar, gripping the spear like she held her staff on Jakku.

The rathtar continued to try to grab her with its tentacles, one swinging near her. She used the pointed end to slice it off. The rathtar screeched, and she dove forward, slamming the point deeply into the rathtar's mouth. As the tentacles swing around her, she continued to push the spear deeper in its mouth. Finally, it began to go limp, and Rey leaped back, leaving the spear behind. She saw another and grabbed it and looked around to see who was still fighting. Anakin appeared to have…tamed, for lack of a better term, his creature, and he was going to help Padmé. Obi-Wan was too far away for her to get to quickly, but Kylo was struggling against a very large beast she had never seen before. Rey sighed and raced toward him, throwing all of her weight behind a stab at the creature's hide. Energy struck it from the spear, but other than that, it wasn't affected.

She gasped and dashed to stand beside Kylo. "What is that thing?"

"That's a rancor."

The name meant nothing to Rey. "All right; how do we kill it?"

"Well, my uncle fought one once; he killed it by having a gate fall on top of it."

"I'm not seeing any gates; other ideas?"

"Its hide is too strong for blasters," he said.

"I meant on how to kill it, not how we can't. Especially since we don't _have_ blasters."

"I don't know! It's not like I've made a habit of studying dangerous, carnivorous beasts!"

She huffed and called an extra spear to her hand. "Here." She thrust it at Kylo.

"Why are you handing me a pointy stick?" he asked scornfully.

She glared at him. "It's the only weapon available. Now, be quiet and use it!"

He opened his mouth to argue, but the rancor was bearing down on the two, and both turned their attention to the bigger enemy. "Can we not stab it in the mouth?" Rey asked.

"That might work, but I'm not sure…"

She raised her eyebrows and snapped, "Do _you_ see any other weak spots?"

"Well…no."

Rey sighed. "Then let's try that!"

The rancor reached out and grabbed Kylo in its huge hand. Rey filed away the loud scream that he gave to tease him about later, but for now, she gripped her spear tightly and flung it toward the beast's now-open mouth. Thankfully, the creature jerked, convulsed, and fell to the ground, not moving. Kylo attempted to pry himself out of the rancor's hand, with Rey coming alongside him and helping. Finally, between the two of them, he was free. "Thanks," he muttered sullenly.

"You're welcome," she replied icily. Glancing up, she saw Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan riding the beast Anakin had "tamed," encircled by seven of the rolling droids. Rey started to go to help them, but five more appeared and trapped her and Kylo. She readied her spear, but Kylo reached over and placed his hand on her arm, lowering it. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "Aren't you planning to fight them?"

"I have a feeling that something else is about to happen," he whispered. Both looked up at the balcony where Dooku was standing. Suddenly, he was joined by a dark-skinned man with a purple lightsaber. A conversation seemed to go on, but they couldn't hear it. Rey began to laugh in pure relief as dozens, maybe hundreds, of Jedi with lightsabers revealed themselves around the arena. A couple came over to help the two of them with the droids around them. "Thanks," Rey said as they offered the two lightsabers, which both took. Rey was mildly surprised to see a green blade spring forth from her saber, glancing over and seeing that Kylo's was blue.

"You're welcome, miss," one Jedi said before rushing off to handle the hundreds of battle droids marching toward all of them.

Kylo and Rey exchanged a glance before going and joining the fight themselves. Rey also leaned over and picked up a blaster from a destroyed droid. She held the blaster in her left hand and the lightsaber in her right. She attempted to reflect the fire from the droids; however, a bolt made it through her defenses and grazed her arm. "Ah!" she gasped, stumbling backward. She took a couple of deep breaths to recover.

"Are you all right?" Kylo asked over his shoulder as he blocked the shots coming toward the two of them.

"What do you care?" she snapped, pushing herself forward to continue fighting. After several minutes, though, the droids stopped shooting. Everyone slowly lowered their weapons, but no one deactivated them. "Master Windu!" Count Dooku bellowed. "You have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order. Now, it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."

"We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" Master Windu-who Rey was only now recognizing from the hologram on Tatooine-replied scathingly.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend." The droids raised their weapons once more, and the small group of Jedi, Padmé, Rey, and Kylo prepared to go down fighting.

 _A/N: Anybody else seen Rogue One yet? If so, what did you think and who was your favorite new character (also, didja love Vader's scene, cause you totally did)? *wants to put spoilers here but won't for the sake of anyone who hasn't seen it* If not, will you see it soon?_


	6. Dueling Dooku

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 5: Dueling Dooku**

Just as everyone prepared to die in battle, the sound of ships could be heard. "Look!" Padmé called. Several oddly-shaped ships had arrived, and Rey assumed by everyone's attitude that they were allies. That fact became more obvious when they began shooting down droids. Rey and Kylo both reentered the fight with renewed vigor. Men in armor resembling stormtroopers came out, but for now Rey was just glad for the help; she'd attempt to sort everything out later. The Jedi began to climb into the ships, and Rey and Kylo quickly joined Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan in their transport. Rey let out a large rush of air. As the ships flew through the air, laser blasts began coming toward them. "Hold on," Obi-Wan commanded.

After flying for several minutes above a ground battle, Obi-Wan noticed something. "Look over there," he said, pointing to a speeder below.

"It's Dooku," Anakin realized. "Shoot him down!"

"We're out of rockets, sir," the pilot informed him.

"Follow him!"

"We're gonna need some help!" Padmé argued.

"There isn't time! Anakin and I can handle this!" Obi-Wan responded.

"And we can help." Rey motioned to herself and Kylo.

"How did I get pulled into this?" he asked.

"You're here, and I assume you want to survive," she answered.

He paused. "Good point."

Shots began coming toward their ship, and Rey only belatedly saw that the two ships escorting Dooku had fallen back behind them. One shot hit and shook the ship, and Padmé and one of the troops fell out. Anakin screamed her name. "Put the ship down!" he called.

"Anakin, don't let your personal feelings get in the way!" Obi-Wan chided him. "Follow that speeder!"

"Lower the ship!" Anakin insisted.

"I can't take Dooku alone! I need you! If we catch him, we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"

"I can't leave her!" Anakin argued.

"Come to your senses! What do you think Padmé would do if she were in your position?"

"She would do her duty."

Dooku's speeder landed on a platform outside a building, with their ship following closely. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Rey, and Kylo leaped onto the ground with their ignited lightsabers in hand. The ship took off again but was destroyed as soon as it had. The four ran into a hanger where they found Dooku and a ship he was presumably about to use to escape. "You're gonna pay for all the Jedi you killed today, Dooku," Anakin said.

"We'll take him together," Obi-Wan said. "You go in slowly on the left, and-"

"No, I'm taking him now!" Anakin snapped, charging forward.

"No, Anakin, no! No!" an exasperated Obi-Wan shouted as Dooku raised his hand and covered the hasty Padawan with…blue lightning? Rey was utterly confused but knew there would be time for questions later. Anakin was thrown against a wall and lay there, unmoving. Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber and pointed it at the older man.

"As you see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now, back down," Dooku said, again shooting lightning out of his hand, but Obi-Wan absorbed it with his lightsaber. _Lightning is absorbed by saber. Got it._

"I don't think so," the Jedi replied calmly. Dooku withdrew a lightsaber hilt that was strangely curved and began to duel Obi-Wan.

"We've got to help," Rey whispered urgently.

"How?" Kylo asked. She glared at him and ran toward the dueling pair, adding her lightsaber to the fight.

"Interesting," Dooku commented. "Who are you, girl?"

"That's none of your business," she snapped, throwing herself into the fight. However, it wasn't long before she felt an excruciating pain in her right leg that caused her to collapse. "Rey!" she distantly heard Kylo call as she crumpled to the floor. She was still conscious enough to watch the duel, though. "Master Kenobi, you disappoint me," Dooku said condescendingly. "Yoda holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do better!"

To his credit, Obi-Wan didn't respond to the insult, merely continuing to counter the other's blows. Several minutes later, the two were in a tight blade lock when Dooku quickly removed his saber, striking a defenseless Obi-Wan's arm and leg. The Jedi dropped to the ground, and Dooku stood over him, prepared for a killing blow. Rey tried to stand to help him, but to no avail. Suddenly, however, a green and a blue blade intersected the red one. There stood Anakin and Kylo, sabers parallel to each other's and expertly stopping Dooku's blow. "Brave of you, boy. I would have thought you'd learned your lesson."

"I am a slow learner," Anakin said.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called, tossing him his lightsaber, which Anakin held in his left hand and ignited.

Rey realized the wisdom in that decision and threw hers to Kylo, who took it. The three fought around the room, someone cutting a wire that caused the lights in half the area to go out, leaving the lightsabers the only brightness, casting the room in an eerie glow. Rey crawled over to Obi-Wan. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He groaned. "I'll live. You?"

"Me too." Suddenly, Anakin was tossed over in their direction, and Rey's stomach turned when she realized that his arm now ended around his elbow. Kylo, though, appeared to be holding his own with the older man. "Where was he trained?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

"I really don't know," she replied, watching as Kylo sliced off a large section of Dooku's cloak. A metallic _clank_ could be heard as it hit the floor, confusing Rey. _Must be something else in there besides just fabric._ The count, as if realizing that fighting Kylo was taking too much time, Force-pushed him back several feet until he hit the wall. Dooku then rushed into his ship, only pausing to say, "This is just the beginning."

Kylo shook himself off as the ship left the hangar, and a short little green guy entered the room, followed closely by Padmé, who was calling, "Anakin!" She clung to him briefly as Obi-Wan and Kylo both helped Rey to her feet. "Thanks," she said softly as Obi-Wan released her and Kylo-strangely gentle-made her lean against him.

"I've got you," he whispered.

Rey noticed Obi-Wan speaking to the short green guy and that Master Windu person. They were gesturing toward the two of them. "That doesn't look good," she muttered.

"What?"

"The way they're talking and pointing at us."

"They don't know anything about us, though."

She thought for a moment. "Didn't you say on Tatooine that you could sense Anakin's anger?"

"Yes…" he said slowly.

"Theoretically, could they sense you using the Dark Side?"

He groaned. "Yes."

"Did you while fighting Dooku?"

"Yes."

"That explains the gestures," she said. "What do you think they'll do?"

"Worst case scenario, kill me."

"Best case?"

"Lock me up in the Jedi Temple, probably." He glanced at her. "But why do you care?"

"We've called a truce, remember? Besides, I know nothing about this time period. I need your help."

"Anakin," they heard Obi-Wan call, and he went to join the group, again gesturing toward the two of them. After several more moments, Master Windu and the green guy came over. "Kylo Ren?" Windu asked.

"Yes?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"You are under arrest."

"Am I allowed to ask why?"

"For being a Dark Side acolyte."

"Do you have proof?"

"Do you deny using the Dark Side while fighting Dooku?"

"No, I do not."

"Then I must ask you to come with me." Windu took Kylo's arm and began to lead him away, but the younger man stopped. "Rey."

She looked over at him from where she was trying to stay on her feet. "Yes?"

He threw her the lightsaber she had given him when he was fighting Dooku. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she responded softly as she caught it. Padmé came over to her side and steadied her. "Are you all right?"

"I think so." Rey glanced at the cloak on the floor. She pulled away from Padmé and staggered over to it. "What's wrong?" the Senator asked.

"There was something in this earlier; it made a noise when it fell." She rifled through it until she found a datastick. "I bet this is it."

"I wonder what it is," Padmé mused.

"Maybe you should hold on to it," Rey said, holding it out.

The other girl took it and slipped it into a pouch on her belt. "Come on; let's get you to a medcenter."

"You too; those scratches look nasty." The two girls exited the hanger, followed by the three Jedi, Obi-Wan and Anakin helping each other.


	7. Two (Important) Conversations

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 6: Two (Important) Conversations**

Though no official watch was placed on her and she wasn't arrested, Rey sensed that the Jedi were keeping a close eye on her on the flight to Coruscant, probably because of her association with Kylo. _I really can't blame them for that. I'd have liked to arrest him before this crazy trip through time happened._ Someone sat down beside her, pulling her from her thoughts. "So, you're Rey, correct?"

She turned to face him. "Yes. And you're Master Windu, I believe that Count Dooku person said?"

"Yes, I am. Where are you from, Rey?"

She sighed. "A desert planet called Jakku, far from here. Can you just get to the real point and skip the introductory questions?"

He chuckled. "You're quite astute. All right; is this Jakku part of the Republic?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't believe so."

He nodded. "Then you weren't tested for Force sensitivity as a child?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Then allow me to inform you that you're very strong with the Force. Have you had any formal training?"

"No; anything I know I've figured out myself."

"What about the lightsaber you had when you met Skywalker?"

"That was a gift from a friend, and, no, I don't know where she got it."

"I see. When we arrive on Coruscant, would you be willing to stand before the Jedi Council and answer questions like this?"

"Certainly. I have nothing to hide." _Well, except for the fact that I'm apparently a time traveler from the future. And Anakin Skywalker apparently snaps and becomes a murdering monster. Those little facts might be awkward to talk about._

"Now, about this Kylo Ren. What is your relationship to him?"

"He and I met several days ago, and, while we didn't initially get along, we were stranded on Tatooine and had to work together until we met Anakin. Still, I would like to know what's going to happen to him."

"He'll likely remain in the custody of the Jedi Order and imprisoned for the safety of all involved."

She nodded. "I see; thank you for telling me."

"Certainly." He rose and went to stand beside the short, green fellow.

 _Now what am I going to do? It's not like I know anything about this time period; history wasn't exactly something I learned on Jakku! Whether I like it or not, I need Kylo's help._ She sighed as she thought about the mess she was now in. _Can I even tell anyone? Would anyone believe me? I know that_ I _wouldn't believe me!_ Rey turned as she heard and felt someone else sitting beside her. "Hello. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Rey."

"Yes, Anakin told me. He also told me how you stopped him from slaughtering the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Obi-Wan looked away for a moment, muttering under his breath, "Even if he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place."

Rey was confused but decided not to ask him what he meant. "I understand that Kylo is going to be imprisoned, but what about me?"

He shrugged. "I suppose that you'll be free to go whenever we reach Coruscant."

"Oh." Now _what am I going to do?_

"Do you not have anywhere to go?"

"No. I haven't seen my family in many years, so long that I don't know who or where they are, and I've not been able to get in touch with any of my friends." _Considering the fact that Finn is unconscious, BB-8 is with Poe, in his X-Wing, Chewie is finding the_ Falcon, _and Han…Nope. Not going there._

"Well, I imagine that, with a bit of persuasion and with the proper wording, the Council would allow you to stay in the Jedi Temple and be taught at least the basics of using the Force, even if you are too old to actually be admitted into the Order."

Her eyebrows drew together. "I'm only nineteen."

"Yes, well, the oldest that, under normal circumstances, children are admitted into the Order is two (or whatever the equivalent age may be). Even then, the child's potential in the Force must be rather strong for an exception to be made."

"Two?"

"Yes."

She shrugged. "I guess I am too old, then. So how do you think you can convince them to let me stay?"

"Simple. I point out a fact that I know that all of them have noticed."

"Which is…?"

"You, Rey, are too strong in the Force to be allowed to wander around the galaxy without any training whatsoever. Since you don't, I assume, know the difference between the Dark and Light Sides of the Force, a Dark-sider could take advantage of you and your power."

"I see," she said, a bit offended that he thought her so easily manipulated.

He realized his mistake. "Don't misunderstand; I'm not questioning you or your morals. However, if a Dark Jedi or, worse, a Sith was to find you and teach you without telling you what he really was, you wouldn't know the difference."

"I'm not quite as gullible as you might think, you know."

"Perhaps not, but the fact still remains that you could be a great danger to us if the right person happened to sway you to the wrong side."

"So you think they'll let me stay on that argument?"

"I believe they will, yes. Despite the fact that they may look and act like it," he winked, "they aren't totally unreasonable."

She giggled. "I understand. Thank you, Master Kenobi."

"You're quite welcome, my dear." He stood to go back to…wherever he had been before he sat with her.

"One more thing, if you don't mind my asking."

He stopped. "Of course not."

"How unreasonable do you think they'd be if I asked to be allowed to visit Kylo?"

He chuckled. "They'd likely put up a fuss, but Republic law would force them to allow it."

"I see. Thank you!"

"Not a problem." He gave her a short bow and walked off.

Rey mentally grinned. _Well, two problems solved._


	8. Rey and Ren

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 7: Rey and Ren**

Rey easily settled into life at the Jedi Temple. Since Anakin had escorted Padmé back to Naboo, Obi-Wan had begun her training. (Rey had a sneaking suspicion that something more than "escorting" was involved in that trip, but, since, from what she could tell, romance seemed to be discouraged by the Jedi, she hadn't said anything.) She had lived at the Temple for a week and a half before the Council was finally persuaded to allow her to see Kylo in their prison. Rey would have been lying if she had said she wasn't nervous about seeing him-he _had_ recently tried to kill her-but she knew that she needed his help to understand the time period she was now in. When she arrived at the cell, the guards at the door (who both had masks covering their entire face) reluctantly let her in after a long argument. Once she was inside, she had to glare at them for several seconds before they moved away enough to give them privacy. After they finally left, she turned to Kylo, who was sitting on the bed. "Hello."

He raised his eyebrows. "Hello…Why are you here?"

"I told you; I need your help to understand what's going on."

"You never learned about the Clone Wars in history?"

She huffed. "No, I was too busy learning what mechanical parts would earn me enough food to _survive_ to go to school."

"Oh. I see." He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"So. I need help."

"Are you trying to change the past or just survive in it?"

"I'd like to change it, but you won't help me do that, I'm sure."

"Did I say I wouldn't?"

"I thought you wanted Darth Vader to exist. I don't."

"Let's just say I've had time to think in this cell. In fact, that's all I've been doing."

"About what?"

"Well…that doesn't matter for now. What's been happening? No one will tell me anything."

"Anakin is escorting Padmé back to Naboo, at least officially (I'm guessing they're actually getting married, but that's just my thoughts). Not much has been happening as far as the war goes. I think it's only technically going on for a week, and that Dooku guy has to find more droids somewhere since we destroyed his army."

He nodded slowly. "You need to tip them off about…" He trailed off. "Have you heard of the Death Star?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I didn't go to school; that doesn't mean I'm completely clueless. Yes, I've heard of the Death Star."

"All right. Count Dooku would have received the plans from Poggle-the ruler of the clicking bugs-while on Geonosis. He was supposed to deliver them to Sidious on Coruscant; I don't know how you can stop that, but the Council should know."

"Would they have been on a datastick he kept in a pocket of his cloak?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"Because one fell out when you cut off part of his cloak, and I gave it to Padmé. Should I not have done that?"

"No, no, that's a good thing. However, I would try to intercept her before she shows them to the Senate. The Jedi should know about them first."

"All right." She paused. "How did you know that Dooku would have had the Death Star plans?"

"Well, my uncle destroyed it, and my mom hated it. Therefore, they researched its history a lot. They also happened to share their findings with me."

"I see."

"Also, when Anakin gets back from Naboo, make him tell Obi-Wan about being married to Padmé."

"All right…"

"My uncle told me that that's the one thing my grandfather said he would have changed about his life (besides not falling to the Dark Side, I assume): telling Obi-Wan about his marriage."

"Well, I'll do that."

"Good."

"So…what have you been thinking about? Besides how to change the future, I mean."

"Mostly my parents…my father."

Rey was shocked to see tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"He…he had to know that I…what I would do. Why did he still come…?" His voice faded out.

Rey sat beside him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Because he was a good father. Because he _loved_ you."

Kylo looked over at her. "Why wasn't I a priority then? When I was younger, both my parents were so consumed with their responsibilities to the New Republic that they forgot about their son. Then, when I exhibited my Force prowess, hoping to get some attention, they shipped me off to Uncle Luke's Jedi academy, and I rarely saw them after that. Oh, and did I mention that nobody, not my parents, not Uncle Luke, _nobody_ told me that my grandfather was Darth Vader, the most feared man in the galaxy, a man I had looked up to for most of my life. I found out from the holonet. The _holonet_! I discovered my family's deepest, darkest secret from a reporter trying to smear my mom's name. I only became a priority in anyone's life after I joined the First Order, though that was more 'either turn him back to the Light or kill him' attention. Can you see why I'm upset with them?"

Rey was silent for several moments before she sighed and said, "I'm not going to try to say I understand your messed up family situation, because I don't. But I will say this. I don't know about your mom, because I haven't met her. But I know your dad loved you, and he regretted what he had done. I could feel it through the Force, and...and I think you could, too."

Before Kylo could respond, the guards returned, signaling to Rey that her time was up. She stood and left the cell, but she stopped and turned to Kylo. "At least you had a family growing up. At least they didn't completely abandon you on some distant planet. Some people aren't that lucky." With that, she left.

 _A/N: So, sorry if Kylo seemed out of character in turning around so fast, but he_ has _been locked up alone with nothing but his thoughts for a week and a half. Anyway, does anyone have a good grasp on his real character? With only one movie out, not to mention all the theories floating around about him not being actually evil, I imagine not. Also, sorry if I got any facts wrong about Kylo's upbringing; I haven't read_ Bloodline _yet. If I did, feel free to tell me what really happened, and, if it's a big deal, I'll correct it._


	9. Kylo's Revelations

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 8: Kylo's Revelations**

The next week, when it was time for her to visit Kylo (as the Council had agreed to a visit once a week), Rey wasn't being trained by Obi-Wan, but instead by Master Mace Windu, who wasn't much happier about the arrangement than Rey herself was. But, since Anakin and Obi-Wan had to go fight the war, her training had been passed off to the second highest-ranking Jedi Master. Since he didn't approve of her being trained, though he had agreed to Obi-Wan's logic, his taking over her training was…awkward, to say the least. He had also vehemently opposed her visiting Kylo, but, again, he had to concede and allow it. So, Rey waited until Master Windu was otherwise occupied before slipping out and going to Kylo's cell, where she had to stare down the guards again to be allowed in and be given privacy. "You know, you should probably stop doing that," Kylo said when she turned to face him.

"Why?"

"They might think that you're trying to help me escape."

"Well, that would be dumb of them. Anyway, do _you_ want to explain the time-travel thing to them?"

"No…"

"Neither do I. Therefore, I'm going to keep getting them to leave."

He nodded. "That makes sense."

"So, I've heard that apparently Dooku told Obi-Wan that a Sith is manipulating the Senate. Do you know who that is?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Who? I mean, if I'm going to try to counter him, I need to know who he is."

"Fine. Come here."

She didn't move. "Why…?"

"Because you will have an audible reaction to this news, and we don't want the guards to hear, remember?"

She covered her mouth with both of her hands.

He huffed. "That'll work, I guess. The Sith is…Chancellor Palpatine."

She made a squeak behind her hands before removing them and whispering, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. You've never heard of Emperor Palpatine?"

"Of course I have! But I didn't know he was a Sith!"

"He was. You might want to 'accidentally' let something about that slip to one of the members of the Council. After all, he's the reason my grandfather turned to the Dark Side."

"I see…" She hesitated. "Speaking of your grandfather…"

"What?"

"I think that, when I meditate, I've been seeing an older Anakin. I haven't mentioned it to anyone, but I was wondering if you knew anything about that."

"I might. What does he look like?"

"Well, he doesn't have the hanging-down braid, and his hair is longer, and I think it's somewhat curly, too."

"Is he tinted slightly blue?"

"Yes! He tries to talk to me, but I haven't answered."

He nodded. "It's his Force-ghost from our timeline."

"What's a Force-ghost?"

"A Force-ghost is basically the spirit of a dead Jedi or at least Force sensitive. Several, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda, have appeared to my uncle, Luke. My grandfather apparently has, also."

"Have you ever seen any?"

"No. No, Uncle Luke is really the only one to ever see any of them."

"So…why is your grandfather appearing to me? And should I respond to him?"

"Yes, I think you should talk to him. As for the other question, well…I don't know…unless…"

"Unless what?"

"How old are you?"

Her brows furrowed at the randomness of that question. "Nineteen, why?"

"And how long ago were you left on Jakku?"

"Fourteen years ago."

He nodded. "Then it could be…"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"When I was fourteen, I started having visions of a masked figure in black wiping out the Jedi Order. Soon after that, my parents sent me to train with my uncle, who told me that the dreams would pass in time. However, they continued to come, and, honestly, they scared me to death. Especially when I began to see my young cousin in the dreams. She had wormed her way into my heart, and I knew that I could never let anything happen to her."

"Out of curiosity," Rey interjected, "were you the masked figure?"

"At the time, I didn't know that. But, yes, I was. Anyway, after I had been having these dreams for about a year, Uncle Luke sent me on my first solo mission, which was, admittedly, a very simple one, but I was excited nonetheless, particularly because it was mostly going to visit my mother for a few days and updating her in person about the Jedi Order."

"Sounds easy."

"Yes, it was. When I had taken off and entered hyperspace, a certain little girl popped up from hiding in the hold."

"Your cousin?"

"Indeed. She had snuck on board without anyone's permission. I was about to comm. Uncle, when I realized that this would be a very easy way to get her away from the Jedi and hide her from the black figure. So, I waited for a few hours before I came out of light speed and took a detour to an out-of-the-way, backwater desert planet. I landed in a remote area, but I saw someone approaching from the distance, so I left her there and flew off. When I arrived at Chandrila, which is where the New Republic was headquartered at the time, my mother told me that my cousin had disappeared. I feigned shock, and she told me that Uncle Luke was franticly looking for her."

"You dropped his daughter off on a random planet and didn't tell him where she was?"

"No. I told myself that I would go back for her once the vision had stopped or I had stopped it from happening."

"But you turned to the Dark Side."

"Yes. And I slowly forgot about her. Until…recently."

"What happened recently to make you remember?"

"The First Order began looking for a map hidden in a droid. When the droid escaped the planet it was on, it was aided by a defecting stormtrooper and a local girl. Only after I was told this did I realize that the planet was the same that I had left my cousin on all those years before."

"Wait, wait. That was me who escaped Jakku with a droid and defecting stormtrooper."

"Yes. It was."

"So…are you saying that I'm your cousin whom you dropped off on a random planet without her father's permission?"

"Yes."

She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying not to react in anger. Finally, she said, "I'm leaving now."

"Rey, please." He grabbed her hand, but she yanked it away. "No. Not right now. You just told me that you were the one to abandon me and not tell anyone where I was. I spent fourteen years waiting for my family to come back. Fourteen years, Kylo! You try spending that much time alone on a miserable planet where no one cares for you, and then you'll see why I can't forgive you. Not yet." Rey exited the cell but turned back for a brief moment. "Just…give me time."


	10. Battle of Christophsis

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 9: Battle of Christophsis**

Rey resolved not to go see Kylo the next week; she was too irritated with him. Master Windu had tried to ask her about it, but she had respectfully declined to answer. She decided to spend the next week training (and trying to figure out how to stop Palpatine). About three days after the disastrous conversation with Kylo, Obi-Wan and Anakin returned for a few days, during which Anakin was officially knighted (Rey found out this was a huge milestone in a Jedi's life). After a few days, however, Anakin and Obi-Wan went back to fighting a war. The day that Rey had planned to visit Kylo, Master Yoda came up to her and asked if she would be willing to accompany a youngling who was going to join Anakin and Obi-Wan on Christophsis. Rey willingly agreed, and the two left immediately. Once the ship had entered hyperspace, Rey turned to her companion. "I'm Rey. What's your name?"

"I'm Ahsoka Tano."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ahsoka, but can I ask why the Council is sending you to deliver a message to Anakin and Master Obi-Wan?"

"I'm being assigned as Master Skywalker's Padawan."

Rey raised her eyebrows. "I see."

"What?"

She chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough."

When their ship landed on Christophsis, Ahsoka exited the ship first, with Rey directly behind her. Both immediately spotted Anakin and Obi-Wan and went straight to them. Upon seeing Ahsoka, Anakin asked, "And who are you supposed to be?"

She responded, "I'm Ahsoka. Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately; there's an emergency."

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bit of an emergency right here," Anakin answered.

Obi-Wan elaborated, "Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help."

"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message," Ahsoka said.

"Oh, great, they don't even know we're in trouble!" Anakin exclaimed. Rey softly chuckled at that.

"Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off," Ahsoka suggested.

"Good idea," Obi-Wan said, so the group went to do just that. Even though the cruiser was currently under heavy fire, the clone officer who accepted their call managed to get them in contact with the Temple. A hologram of Master Yoda appeared in front of them. "Master Kenobi, glad Ahsoka and Rey found you, I am."

"Master Yoda, we are trapped here and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed."

"Send reinforcements to you, we will," Master Yoda said, but the rest of his words were cut off as the transmission disappeared.

"Master Yoda? Master Yoda!" Obi-Wan called, hoping the transmission would return.

"We've lost the transmission, sir, and we have to leave orbit immediately," the clone officer informed Obi-Wan. "More enemy ships have just arrived. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."

"I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer," Anakin observed sarcastically.

"Appears so," Rey agreed.

Obi-Wan glanced over at Ahsoka. "My apologies, young one. It's time for a proper introduction."

"I'm the new Padawan learner. I'm Ahsoka Tano."

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, your new master."

"I'm at your service, Master Kenobi, but I'm afraid I've actually been assigned to Master Skywalker."

Rey's lips began to twitch at Anakin's face, and his response didn't lessen the humor of the situation. "What? No, no, no, no, no. There must be some mistake. He's the one who wanted the Padawan." Anakin pointed at Obi-Wan.

"No. Master Yoda was _very_ specific. I am assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi Training."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Anakin protested, and Rey absolutely lost her composure. She doubled over laughing as Obi-Wan said, "We'll have to sort this out later. It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons."

"I'll check on Rex at the look-out post."

"You'd better take her with you."

Anakin barely acknowledged Obi-Wan's suggestion as Ahsoka trailed after him.

Rey finally contained her laughter long enough to say, "That was hilarious."

"Yes, indeed it was. I can't help but hope that she gives Anakin as much trouble as he gave me."

"Well, from what I can tell, she will certainly do that."

"I hate to sound sadistic, but good."

Rey chuckled (again). "That's not sadistic, I don't believe."

Anakin returned a few moments later, giving them both an "I don't want to talk about it" look. They obliged him, and several minutes later, Rex and Ahsoka came with the news of the enemy having an energy shield. A map of the city appeared on the table in front of them, and Obi-Wan said, "The shield generator's somewhere in this area;" he pointed to a portion of the map, "they're slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops."

"Heavy cannons are going to be useless against that," Rex observed.

"As we get closer, I suppose we could try to draw them into the buildings. That might level the playing field a bit."

"I don't have any other suggestions, before anyone asks," Rey quickly said.

"If that shield's going to be such a problem, why don't we just take it out?" Ahsoka asked.

"Easier said than done," Rex replied.

"Well, I, for one, agree with her," Anakin admitted hesitantly. "Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key."

"Right, then," Obi-Wan said. "Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together."

"Can do, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka announced eagerly.

"I'll decide what we do," Anakin answered harshly.

"Go a little easier on her, Anakin," Rey said.

"If Rex, Rey, and I can engage them here," Obi-Wan indicated part of the map, "you two might have a chance to get through their lines undetected here," indicating another portion of the map.

"We won't have much time. The droids far outnumber us. So our ability to street fight is limited without the use of heavy cannons. They will march forward under the protection of their shield until they're right on top of our cannons. Then they will blow them away," Rex said.

"We'll figure out a way! Come on, Master, let's go," Ahsoka answered perkily.

"If we survive this, Snips, you and I are going to have a talk," Anakin snapped.

"They make quite a pair, don't they, sir?" Rex asked Obi-Wan. "Do you think they have a chance?"

"They'd better. If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons, there'll be no escape for any of us."

"Cheery thought, Master Kenobi," Rey commented. The three went to stand beside the cannons, which were trying to penetrate the shield, to no avail. "That shield is certainly putting a crimp in my day!" Obi-Wan called to Rex.

"It's no use, sir! Even at full power, the cannon doesn't affect it!" he replied.

"All right, Rex. It was worth a try. Tell the men to fall back!"

Rey bit her lip. "Do you have a new plan, Master?"

"I just might." The men (and Rey) crouched down behind a small barricade until the red wall of the energy shield passed over them. "We're inside the shield. Just stay away from those tanks," Obi-Wan ordered. He stood up and leaped toward the droids, with Rey following. "A Jedi!" one of the droids called. As Obi-Wan took out the super battle droids, Rey handled the regular battle droids. Clones slid down cables to help them. Obi-Wan and Rey separated from Rex and the clones as they fought the tougher droids (that still were no match for their lightsabers). Rex came running up after a few minutes, however, calling, "They're right behind us, sir. They've wiped out most of my unit. We had to pull out of there."

The three took refuge behind a short wall. "The shield has almost reached the heavy cannons," Obi-Wan observed.

"We're not going to be able to stop them, sir," Rex said.

"Move your troops back to the heavy cannons. Do anything you can to protect them. Rey and I will delay the droids."

"But-"

"That is an order, Captain!" The two Jedi sprung to their feet and began slicing into the droids again.

The clones pulled back, as Rey turned to Obi-Wan. "Please tell me you have another backup plan."

"I do." Super battle droids surrounded the two of them, and Rey was shocked to see him deactivate his lightsaber. She assumed this was part of his plan and followed suit. A strange creature popped up from inside one of the nearby tanks. "You must be the infamous General Kenobi."

"I surrender."

Rey blinked several times as the droids removed both their lightsabers from their belts. "Wait, what?"

"Now, Master Kenobi, order your troops to stand down," the creature said as Obi-Wan lifted a large, nearby rock to place it in front of him via the Force.

"General, have a seat."

"Have you gone mad?"

"Yes," Rey muttered under her breath.

Obi-Wan gave her a sharp glare. "I've conceded the battle. Now we simply have to negotiate the terms of surrender."

"Don't try any of your tricks, Jedi."

"Surely there's no reason we can't be civilized about this," he commented as the general exited his tank with a serving droid. "It is a rare honor to meet one's opponent face-to-face. You're a legend throughout the Inner Core."

"Thank you. The honor is all mine. I'm so glad you decided to surrender."

Rey let out a slow huff of air from her position standing behind Obi-Wan's seat.

"Well, at some point one must accept the reality of the situation." He pretended to cough into his hand. "Might we have some…refreshments?"

"You!" the other general barked to his serving droid. "Bring us something liquid."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "This shouldn't take long."

Despite this proclamation, Obi-Wan was clearly taking his time in laying out his terms. "And, of course, once you've taken custody of my troops, arrangements will need to be made for their food and shelter. Tell me, do you have enough supplies to-"

"Enough of this! You're stalling!"

 _You_ just _figured that out?_ Rey thought. _You're dumber than I thought._

"Nonsense. General, there are numerous details to be discussed."

The general was having none of it and picked up the table, with Obi-Wan tossing it aside. "Seize them!" he ordered the droids, who picked both of them up off of their feet and lifted them into the air. "Unless you call off your troops, I will have no choice but to destroy you!"

"Truthfully, I was hoping your shield would be knocked out by now," he muttered.

"That's why you don't put _all_ your trust in Anakin to get something done! Also, please tell me you have a fourth plan?" Rey shot back.

They all looked up suddenly as the red glow of the shield disappeared. "Oh, well," Obi-Wan said.

"I take what I said about Anakin back." Rey grinned as the two flipped away from the droids. Obi-Wan Force-pushed the droids together, deactivating them. He then grabbed the general and put him between Rey and himself and the droids. The droids continued shooting, but the general called to them, "Don't fire!"

"Ha! Something appears to have happened to your shield, General!" Obi-Wan announced.

"Indeed, it does!" Rey agreed happily, as the sound of the cannons began to fill the air.

Obi-Wan's comlink chirped, and he answered it to reveal a naval commander. "General Kenobi, if you can hear me, we're through the blockade. The Separatist armada is in retreat. Your reinforcements should be landing in a moment," and Rey and Obi-Wan could hear the ships approaching. One landed directly in front the small group, containing Master Yoda and several clone troopers. _I still have to ask Kylo what the relationship between them and storm troopers is,_ Rey thought.

"Your timing is perfect, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan greeted him.

A few minutes later, while Obi-Wan and Master Yoda continued chatting, Anakin and Ahsoka stepped out a gunship. "Master Obi-Wan. Master Yoda," Anakin said with a slight bow.

"Hmm. Trouble you have with your new Padawan, I hear," Master Yoda said.

"I was explaining the situation to Master Yoda," Obi-Wan elaborated.

"Really?" Anakin asked dryly.

"If not ready for a Padawan, you are, then perhaps, Obi-Wan, we can-"

"Now wait a minute. I admit Ahsoka's a little…rough around the edges, but with a great deal of training and _patience,_ she might amount to something."

"Which is Anakin's way of saying she's grown on him," Rey murmured.

"Then go with you, she will, to the Teth system," Yoda stated.

"Teth? That's Wild Space; the droid army isn't even in that sector," Anakin replied.

"Kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son has been."

"You want me to rescue Jabba's son?" Anakin's tone was incredulous, like there was a specific reason both the Masters should know that he wouldn't want to do that. Rey resolved to ask someone about that.

"Anakin, we'll need the Hutt's allegiance to gain an advantage over Dooku," Obi-Wan informed him.

"Hmm. Negotiate the treaty with Jabba, Obi-Wan will. With him, Rey will go. Find the renegades that hold Jabba's son, your mission will be, Skywalker."

"Come on, Master. It doesn't sound that hard," Ahsoka encouraged. "I'll find Rex and get the troops organized."

"Don't worry, Anakin. Just teach her everything I taught you, and she'll turn out fine."

 _Is that sort of a twisted, backhanded compliment?_ Rey wondered. _Why can't the Jedi ever just say what they think?_

"You know," Anakin said, "something makes me think this was your idea from the start."

Obi-Wan smiled in response as Anakin joined Ahsoka and Rex on a gunship. "Let's just hope Anakin is ready for this responsibility."

"Ready, he is, to teach an apprentice. To let go of his pupil, a greater challenge, it will be. Master this, Skywalker must."

The gunship took off, and Obi-Wan looked down at Master Yoda. "If I've got to make a deal with Jabba the Hutt, I'd best be on my way." He and Rey both gave the short, green Master small bows before they walked away and climbed into a nearby pair of fighters.

 _Something tells me this is not going to be as easy as it sounds._

 _A/N: So, here we go into_ The Clone Wars. _I will_ not _be doing every episode, so don't worry about that. However, I will most likely be doing most of the ones that star Obi-Wan. From here on out (though I don't know if it will be discussed), Rey will essentially be his unofficial Padawan (making him train three generations of Skywalkers in this story). At a certain point, though, I will completely break away from the TV series and do my own thing near the end. Also, don't worry, Padmé and the datastick (anyone have any idea what that was?) will be addressed, as will Rey's visions of older!Anakin._

 _Also, we have an Episode VIII title!_ The Last Jedi... _What do you think of it? Personally, I like it, though I do hope that that "Jedi" is plural, not singular. :)_


	11. 2 Anakins,a Huttlet,Ahsoka, and Ventress

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 10: Two Anakins, a Huttlet, Ahsoka, and Ventress**

Rey and Obi-Wan came out of hyperspace above Tatooine. Obi-Wan's astromech beeped. "Don't worry," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure Jabba's in a good mood."

"Well, that's a comforting thought," Rey muttered as the two descended toward the planet's surface. They landed outside the crime lord's palace and were greeted by a protocol droid and some thugs. "We should not keep the wise and powerful Jabba waiting," the protocol droid stated.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Obi-Wan answered. They were taken to the Hutt's throne room. Obi-Wan inclined his head respectfully and said, "Mighty Jabba, one of our most powerful Jedi is on his way to rescue his son. We will not let you down."

Jabba said something in Huttese. Rey mostly understood it, but she still listened to the droid's translation. "The most gracious Jabba has one more small condition. He demands you bring back the slime who kidnapped his…punkymuffin."

 _Wait, what? Punkymuffin?_ Rey mentally burst out laughing.

Apparently Obi-Wan thought it was funny as well. "Punky?" he asked.

"Dead or alive," Jabba said, and the droid translated. "If you do not succeed, Count Dooku and his droid army will."

"Very well." After several more minutes of negotiation, the two Jedi left and Obi-Wan contacted Anakin. "All right, Anakin, here's the story. Jabba has given us only one planetary rotation to get his son back to Tatooine safe and sound."

"Won't take us that long, Master," he promised.

"Well, take extreme care. We have no idea who's holding Jabba's son. When I finish negotiations with him, Rey and I will join you." The hologram winked out.

"Is it going well? I can't tell. Hutts are hard to read," Rey said.

"Indeed, they can be. However, I believe the negotiations are going well enough."

"So, once we're out of here, could you tell me why Anakin dislikes Hutts very strongly? He seemed a little upset when you and Master Yoda asked him to rescue the child."

"I suppose I can…when we're safely off of Tatooine."

"Hopefully that'll be soon. I've had enough of deserts to last me a lifetime." With that, the two reentered the palace.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Several hours later, the two finally left, and Obi-Wan decided to comm. Anakin once they were on board the cruiser they were traveling in and check on his and Ahsoka's progress. "Anakin, did you locate Jabba's son?"

"We have him, but it looks like the Separatists are behind his abduction. This smells like Count Dooku to me."

"I think it's little Stinky you smell," Ahsoka whispered. Rey smirked.

"I'll bet Dooku is using us to get Jabba to join the Separatists."

"Master Kenobi, we have another problem," Ahsoka cut in. "This Huttlet is very sick."

"Not sure we can get him back to Tatooine alive, Master. This whole rescue mission may backfire on us. I still don't think dealing with the Hutts is a good idea."

"Anakin, you know they control shipping routes in the Outer Rim. Jabba's cooperation is crucial to the war effort. If you let anything happen to his son, our chances of a treaty with him will disappear."

"Master? We've got trouble," Ahsoka said, staring at the sky.

"Defensive positions!" Rey and Obi-Wan heard Rex call.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"I'll have to call you back, Master! We're under attack! We could use a little bit of help here if you have the time."

"I'll get there as soon as I can. Protect the Hutt, Anakin." The hologram winked out. Obi-Wan turned to Rey. "First I need to tell the men to get underway, but after that, I can answer your question from earlier."

Rey's eyebrows wrinkled. "My question? Oh, about Anakin and the Hutts."

"Yes."

"All right; go do what you have to. That can wait."

"Why don't you meet me in our quarters? That's probably the closest thing to privacy that we'll get."

Rey nodded, and the two parted ways. When Rey arrived at the two Jedi's quarters, she knew she had several minutes before Obi-Wan got there, so she sat down to meditate. After a little while, she saw Anakin (from her time) again. This time, though, she said, "Hello…Grandfather."

He smiled broadly. "Hello, Rey."

"Can I ask what you're doing here?"

"Can't I come visit my favorite granddaughter without a reason?"

"As far as I know, I'm your _only_ granddaughter."

"You are, but you're still my favorite." He winked.

She couldn't help but smile. "Grandfather, I need help. Kylo's been helping a little, but it's your fall I'm trying to prevent; I imagine you can help more than he can."

"Yes, I suppose I can." He paused. "Well, one thing you should do is make me-him-me…I'm just going to say 'him,' tell Obi-Wan about being married to Padmé."

"I'm _trying!_ He keeps saying that he'll be thrown out of the Order!"

"Hmm. Well, you could…" He stopped. "Actually, leave him alone about it. Wait until you meet Duchess Satine of Mandalore."

"Okayyyy…why?"

"You'll understand once you meet her. Let's just say she and Obi-Wan have an…interesting relationship."

"All right; I'll wait." She hesitated. "How else can I stop him from falling?"

"Well, for right now, mostly encourage his relationship with Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Ahsoka. Discourage (really, really strongly) his relationship with Palpatine."

"Are they close?"

"Closer than they should be."

"I'll do my best. Should I 'accidentally' mention to someone that he's the Sith Lord they're looking for?"

"I wouldn't explicitly _say_ it, but implying and dropping hints is a good idea. For example, it would probably be a good idea to get Obi-Wan thinking about who in the Senate is gaining the most from the war."

"Palpatine because of the emergency powers he has?"

"Yes."

"I'll do that." She felt a stirring in the Force. "I think he's here; I've got to go."

"All right. I love you, Rey."

A small smile adorned her lips. "Love you, too, Grandfather."

She opened her eyes to see Obi-Wan watching her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just enjoying the sight of a student meditating without being told to."

"Anakin hated it?"

"Very much so."

"Speaking of Anakin…?"

"Right." He sighed. "You can't tell him that I told you this."

"I promise."

"When he was born, he and his mother were slaves to Gardulla the Hutt. She…well, she didn't treat them well. She later lost them betting on the podraces to a Toydarian named Watto, who was a better owner, but they were still slaves. Anakin was freed when he was nine by my master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon thought he was the Chosen One, someone prophesied to bring balance to the Force. He died soon after, so I took over Anakin's training."

"What about his mother? Was she ever freed?"

"It turns out she was. She married the man who freed her, but a few months ago, she was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. They apparently tortured her. Anakin began to have nightmares about her being in pain, and I, to my great remorse, didn't let him go search for her. However, when we parted from each other, I went to Kamino, and he took Padmé to Naboo to protect her. While they were there, he had more nightmares, and the two decided to go find her. Apparently, she died in his arms, and he decided to wipe out the Tuskens, but you showed up and stopped him." He sighed heavily. "Now, our relationship is rather strained, though we both try to hide it. He thinks I don't care about him or his mother."

"That's not true, is it?"

"No, of course not. In fact, I tried to convince the Council to let him go to her, but they resisted. I'm not angry with him for going to find her, but he thinks I am."

"You sounded like it, when we talked on the way back from Geonosis."

"I suppose I did. I didn't intend to. I only meant to express that he should have been on Naboo, because I should have let him go to Tatooine to find his mother much earlier."

She nodded slowly. They sat in companionable silence for several minutes. Finally, Obi-Wan rose. "We should probably prepare for our arrival to Teth." The two exited the quarters together.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

When their cruiser came out of hyperspace, Obi-Wan, Rey, and their clone squadron left the ship in fighters. "Skywalker is in trouble. You know the drill," Obi-Wan said.

"He gets into trouble often enough for there to be a drill dealing with Skywalker rescues?" Rey couldn't help but mutter.

"Copy that, sir," one of the clones responded.

As they flew toward the surface, they were met by droids that looked more like fighters. "Do I want to ask what those are?" Rey asked.

"Vulture droids. Nasty things," Obi-Wan answered.

"Skywalker to Obi-Wan," a familiar voice came from his comlink. "Mark my position. I need a medical ship immediately. Do you copy?"

"Anakin, do you read me?" he responded. The only answer was static. "Anakin! Come in! They're jamming our transmissions," he realized. "I hope Anakin is having an easier time than we are."

"Well, from what I've observed about Anakin's penchant for trouble, probably not."

The dogfight continued for several minutes, and the two Jedi and clones had to pull back toward their cruiser. "I'm hit! I can't shake 'em!" one of the clones said.

"Relax, Oddball. I'm right behind you." Obi-Wan proceeded to begin shooting down the vulture droids. Rey maneuvered her fighter around to be able to help other clones who were having trouble shaking the droids.

"Thank you, sir," Oddball said. "Sorry I panicked."

"That's all right, Oddball. It happens to everybody." He banked his ship around to look at the monastery below. "It looks like there's some kind of battle on the east side of the palace."

"I see it, sir."

"And if there's a battle, Anakin's probably in the middle of it. We'll start looking for him there. All ships follow me." As the fighters approached the surface, Obi-Wan contacted the cruiser. "Commander Cody, prepare the gunships for ground assault."

"Yes, sir! Go, go, go!" Cody could be heard ordering on the other end of the comm.

When they were almost to the ground, Obi-Wan said, "Take over, Arfour."

"You, too, Arnine," Rey ordered, preparing to follow him to the ground. They dropped and ignited their lightsabers, defending the two 501st clones there against a large group of battle droids. Soon, they were joined by a group of the 212th, their battalion.

"Where's Skywalker?" Obi-Wan asked Rex.

"Best guess is he's still in the palace."

"Keep the droids occupied. Rey and I will go find him." The two dashed into the dark entrance.

"Master Kenobi!" a female voice greeted loudly. Directly ahead of the Jedi was a bald woman with two red lightsabers flanked by two super battle droids. "Always chasing after Skywalker. How predictable."

"Anakin leads quite a mess, which always leads me to you, Ventress." He readied his lightsaber, as did Rey.

"Take them!" she ordered the droids. They began shooting as Ventress ran away, but the two easily deflected the blasts and sliced the droids in half. They gave chase, arriving in a large, open, circular room. "Ventress, I know you're here. You can't hide. I feel your frustration. You must be after Jabba's young son, too."

"Oh, yes. Too bad Anakin has him safely in his protection," Rey added.

She launched herself onto the two from the ceiling with a cry. They pushed her away long enough for her to throw a piece of fabric onto Obi-Wan. Rey quickly stepped between them as Ventress charged and Obi-Wan cut the material in half. He came to stand beside her, each of their blades blocking one of hers. "You'll have to do better than that, my darling," Obi-Wan taunted.

 _Why does it seem like he's flirting with her?_

The three fought for several minutes, and Obi-Wan lost his lightsaber. "Well, now I'm impressed."

 _I'm not. She's obviously severely undertrained._ Rey covered Obi-Wan as he summoned his lightsaber back into his hand. "Shall we continue?" he asked as he ignited it.

"My pleasure." The three continued to fight, with Ventress being driven back very easily, even by the barely-trained Rey. The fight moved up to a higher level of the monastery. "We know of Dooku's plot to turn the Hutts against us. It will not succeed."

"It will when the truth dies with you two." She raised her lightsabers in front of her face and pressed her attack once more. This time, she was ferocious and sloppy. Obi-Wan threw her back several feet and leapt out a nearby window. Rey shrugged and followed him. Ventress came soon after. All three suddenly felt something in the Force. "I sense it, too," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin is gone. You've failed, Ventress." The three continued fighting along a bridge. The two trapped Ventress's lightsabers against the railing. "Your Master will not be pleased," Obi-Wan continued to taunt her. He then knocked one of her lightsabers from her hand and to the ground.

She pressed a button on her wrist. "Jedi scum!"

"The Hutt is safe. There's no point in fighting any longer. We've won. Lay down your weapon."

"Somehow I don't think she's going to listen," Rey said.

Sure enough, Ventress jumped off the bridge and onto a passing vulture droid.

Obi-Wan reached up to stroke his beard. "I didn't expect her to, but I thought we should give her the opportunity." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You did well, young one. Come on, let's get back to the men."

They returned to find Rex, Cody, and the other troops still holding off the droids. "Captain. I understand General Skywalker escaped."

"Yes, sir, on some beat-up old spice freighter. I'll be surprised if he even makes it to Tatooine in that junker."

"If anyone can fly a bucket of bolts through hyperspace, he can."

"I hope you're right, sir," Rex said.

"Me, too," Rey agreed. Between the clones and the two Jedi, they pushed back the droids and took the monastery.

Obi-Wan's comlink went off as they cleaned up the mess.

"That thing goes off a lot," Rey observed.

"Obi-Wan, come in. Do you copy?"

"Indeed it does," he agreed before replying to Anakin. "Kenobi here. Have you reached Tatooine yet?"

"Almost. But we've ran into a small-"

"Anakin, did you get shot down _again_?" he asked.

"Yes," Ahsoka answered for him.

"The ship's too slow!" Anakin argued. "And I haven't had time to modify it yet!"

"I'm still cleaning up your other mess, but I'll get there." He cut the transmission.

"So we have to save him…again," Rey observed.

"It appears so." He sighed. "I need to contact the Council and Chancellor with this news."

Obi-Wan quickly established a connection with Coruscant as Rey continued to help Rex and Cody clean up. "Anakin has reached Tatooine with the Huttlet, Master, but he's still in grave danger. Separatist troops are desperate to intercept him. I think this whole plot was engineered by Dooku to make it appear we kidnapped his son."

"If believe this the Hutts do, ended will our chance of a treaty with them be." Rey didn't have to look at the hologram to know who _that_ was. "Join Dooku and the Separatists, Jabba will, yes."

"That would be a disaster. We must have this alliance with the Hutts if we are to win the war in the Outer Rim." Rey raised her eyebrows, making sure that Obi-Wan couldn't see her reaction to the Chancellor's voice.

"In Skywalker, is the Republic's only hope. Return Jabba's son, he must."

"Anakin's ability to speak Huttese should help. He'll come through." With that, Obi-Wan disconnected. Soon, their cruiser departed for Tatooine. They were met above it by Master Yoda, and the three Jedi, accompanied by a group of clones, flew to the surface in a gunship. They landed in front of Jabba's palace, where they were greeted by Anakin, Ahsoka, Artoo, Jabba, and his son. No words were exchanged; none were needed. They all just shared smiles of relief at their victory.

 _A/N: So that's the end of the movie. I'm planning to just do some of the more important arcs featuring Obi-Wan from here on out. The changes because of Rey here were minor, but they should become more dramatic. Hopefully._

 _Also, in the actual movie, Obi-Wan's words are "Anakin's previous experience with the Hutts should help." Wait, what? As far as I know, the only interaction he had with the Hutts was as their slave. So I changed that line to "ability to speak Huttese."_

 _A couple more things, just so you know. A lot of Rey's thoughts are basically my thoughts while watching these episodes. And the entire story is from Rey's POV. Any thoughts, even if they have no dialogue (thought?) tags. So no scenes without Rey (and, by extension, Obi-Wan mostly) will occur._


	12. Ilum

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 11: Ilum**

After Rey, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka had returned to the Jedi Temple after their adventures on Christophsis, they rested for about three days. On the fourth morning, Obi-Wan said to Rey, "Rey, you've got a…mission, of sorts."

"Of sorts? Is it a mission or isn't it?" she asked, rather confused.

"Well, you're going to Ilum."

"What's Ilum?"

"Ilum is a planet that is sacred to the Jedi Order. We harvest kyber crystals for lightsabers there."

Her eyes widened. "Does that mean you want me to build my own lightsaber?"

"Indeed. It's a rite of passage for all Jedi. Normally, initiates build one before becoming a Padawan, but since you got a bit of a late start, and in the middle of a war, we didn't send you right away. Now, however, we feel that it's time for you to go build one for yourself."

A wide smile spread across her face. "I wonder what color it'll be…"

He gave her a prompting grin. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll find out."

She, wide smile still firmly in place, rushed around the apartment, packing what things she would need for the trip very quickly. Obi-Wan escorted her to a ship, where Master Yoda and a small group of younglings waited to embark on the trip to Ilum. Once Rey was on board and everyone was ready, the ship took off. She had settled into one of the two seats in the area they were in. Since the younglings were all on the floor, she safely assumed that it had been left vacant for her. One of the younglings reached over and tugged on Rey's shirt. "Yes? What's your name?" she asked the Twi'lek girl.

"I'm Kaadra! Aren't you a little old to be making your first lightsaber?"

Rey chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I am, but I got a late start in becoming a Jedi, so I'm making up for lost time."

"Oh."

"I also lost my original lightsaber on Geonosis, so I'm finally going to make a replacement instead of using a borrowed one."

"You were on Geonosis?" a boy asked. Rey glanced up to see that the question had come from a young Mon Calamari.

She nodded. "Yes, I was."

"Tell us about it!" a Pantoran boy begged.

"Please?" a Mirialan girl added softly.

"Now, now, younglings, bother Rey, you should not. If wish not to tell you, she does, alone, leave her," Yoda spoke up.

"No, Master Yoda, I don't mind telling them." She slipped out of her seat onto the ground beside them. "But, first, why don't we properly introduce ourselves? My name is Rey."

"I'm Banlar!" the Mon Calamari said.

"And I'm Chilon," the Pantoran added.

"What about you?" Rey asked the Mirialan girl.

"I'm Ryma."

Rey smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Well, younglings, it started when I was stranded on Tatooine…."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

After several hours of travel (and stories, from both Rey and Yoda), they came out of hyperspace above Ilum and soon landed. When Rey's feet touched the ground, she felt a strange connection to the planet, like she had been there before. _That's funny. I know I haven't._ She shrugged it off, however, and followed Yoda and the younglings onto a platform. "Now, younglings and Rey, the Force, we must use, if to enter, we desire." Between the six of them, they managed to reveal the entrance to the Temple beneath large slabs of ice. _It's cold. Like, really cold._ Rey shivered as the group rushed inside. _Hot temperatures, I know how to handle. This, on the other had…_

"The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is. Focus the Force from the Jedi, it does," Master Yoda said, and Rey realized that she might have missed part of his speech. He reached out with the Force to open some kind of window high above them, and sunlight reflected off a crystal hanging from the ceiling. It began to melt a doorway of ice in front of them. "Wow," Rey whispered, reveling in the sight of so much water, even the frozen kind.

"If Jedi, you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourself, trust each other, and succeed, you will." He ushered them toward the doorway, giving some final instructions. "Once found your crystal, you have, remain inside, do not. As sunlight fades, freeze again, the door will, and trapped, you will be until melt the ice again, the sun does."

They all made sounds of acknowledgement, each anxious to get inside and begin searching for his or her crystal, and that included Rey. They all entered, with Rey being the only one to notice the slow freezing of the door already beginning. "How will we find our crystal?" Kaadra asked.

Rey bit her lip. "I suppose we should each follow the Force in the direction it leads us." The five traveled together for a while, but then they came to three separate doors.

"What now?" Chilon asked exasperatedly.

"We keep using the Force. We'll probably have to split up, but two groups of two will probably go through the same door." Rey smiled down at the children. "Like Master Yoda said, trust the Force, each other, and yourself. You'll find your crystal and get out if you do. I believe that each one of you can do it." With that, Rey closed her eyes, felt the pull of the Force, and entered the doorway on the right. She heard the younglings behind her moving, but none followed her, so she assumed they were together. "That's good," she whispered. "I know that I can take care of myself alone, but I wasn't so sure about them." She crept forward, feeling a tug to continue going straight ahead.

Soon, however, she was facing an ice wall blocking her path. "Hmm. This is a predicament." Obi-Wan hadn't let her bring her borrowed lightsaber, so she couldn't cut through it. _How does ice even work?_ she wondered. _Can I push the wall down?_ She tried to knock it over, or at least a chunk of it so she could get through, but to no avail. _I bet my staff would break through it._ However, without the staff, she had no idea how she was getting through that wall, but the Force was obviously guiding her past it. She took a deep breath and, drawing on the Force, pushed one last time, this time lending herself extra strength through the Force. The wall gave way.

Rey rushed forward in triumph, feeling herself draw nearer to her crystal. _Almost there,_ she thought, when the ground beneath her gave out. She found herself falling several feet and landing roughly. "Ow." She stood and brushed off, glancing around. In the distance, the way she had come, she saw a sparkle. _Could that be my crystal?_ She began making her way there, and, as she walked, the single sparkle became two separate ones.

She reached them, and, sure enough, they were two crystals, but both were calling to her through the Force. They were wedged in a crack in a rock, and she reached up to free them. As soon as they were settled in her hand, she felt a presence behind her. She whirled around to see the blue-tinged figure of her grandfather, but the caves had disappeared. "Hi."

"Hi. I see you've found your crystals."

"Yes…what is it with me and visions as soon as I touch components of a lightsaber?"

He laughed. "I don't know; wish I could help you there."

"So…not that I'm not glad to see you, but what do you want?"

"I wanted to remind you to get the Death Star plans back from Padmé before she lets Palpatine get his grubby hands on them."

"That's definitely not a good idea. Will our paths cross soon?"

"Most likely."

She nodded. "I'll do that, then."

He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. It was an interesting feeling, because he wasn't exactly solid; it was more a tingling, warm sensation. "Rey, Anakin will be sliding further and further into the Dark Side. You have to combat that with everything you can."

"You do realize that my exposure to him might become limited soon? I'm following Obi-Wan around as his unofficial Padawan, not Anakin."

"Yes, but I realize that, during the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and I were sent on nearly all the same missions. You'll be around him…probably more than you want to be, but that's beside the point."

Rey giggled. "I understand, Grandfather…can I call you Grandpa instead? It sounds better."

It was Anakin's turn to laugh. "Of course, you can."

"Good." Rey reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. "My hair grows too fast."

"Well, I think you need to get back to the Temple before the door freezes over."

She nodded, slipping the crystals into a pouch on her belt. "Love you, Grandpa."

"Love you, too, Rey."

She grinned at him before turning and racing toward where she had fallen down. She, using what Obi-Wan had taught her, even though she was not sure if she could actually do it, Force-jumped up to the ground level. However, her head barely came above the hole, but she managed to grab the edge and pull herself up, using all her experience scavenging to climb up. She raced back to the opening, seeing the ice door's bottom approaching the ground. She dropped to the ground and rolled underneath it. She saw, to her great relief, that all four children were waiting with Yoda. The small group made their way back to the ship, where Master Yoda said they would actually build their lightsabers.

 _A/N: So, the younglings might appear again at some point. I can explain the story behind them, if you want it. :)_

 _And the mention of Rey possibly having been on Ilum is is a reference to the theory that Ilum became Starkiller Base, but I didn't explicitly state it, just in case. So it's just a cameo._


	13. Building Lightsabers

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 12: Building Lightsabers**

Once the ship had taken off and entered hyperspace, Yoda escorted the five of them to the back of the ship, where he said, "Successfully passed the Gathering, you all have, and your crystals, you have harvested."

"So when do we build our sabers?" Banlar asked excitedly.

"On the table, place your crystals. Begin now, your lesson does." He motioned behind him, where Rey could hear a mechanical whirring sound. "This, younglings, is Huyang. A lightsaber architect, he is. Help you build your saber, he will."

Rey blinked when Huyang came into view. He was probably the oldest operating droid she had ever seen, but his first words made her chuckle. "So these are them. I swear, they get younger every expedition. All have passed the Gathering?"

"Yes, Huyang, passed, they have."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"But he's a droid!" Chilon exclaimed. "How can a droid help us build lightsabers? We can only do that with the Force!"

"Who said that?" he demanded. Chilon waved his hand slightly. "Many years I have been on this ship, teaching many a Jedi before you, and I will teach many a Jedi after you. Call me what you want, but inside my memory banks, I contain a record of every lightsaber ever made, and the Jedi who fashioned them." He pressed a button, and a hologram of several types of lightsabers appeared. "Which will you choose? A simple grip? The curved approach? One inlaid with the bone of the Cartusian whale, Bastilian ore, or black auk? Well? From battles of Rashfond to the Peacekeeping of Parliock, to our very own Clone Wars, the lightsaber is a Jedi's only true ally. But how do they work? Hmm? Yes, you have brought me crystals, but they're all useless unless you give them life. Do you know how to awaken the Force within the crystal? No? Then I suggest you listen and learn, until you think of a question this droid cannot answer."

Rey hung back as Huyang helped the younglings begin their lightsabers. They all chose the design that Rey had come to view as "normal," the simple, straightforward hilt. Finally, when the four of them had started combining the elements that Huyang had given them, the droid turned to her. "You're a little old for this, aren't you?"

She laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am, a bit."

"Well, what do you see your lightsaber being?"

She held up both of her crystals. "I felt two crystals calling to me; should that affect the type of lightsaber I make?"

"Two crystals…that is rare. However, archival evidence shows that the few Jedi who harvest two crystals all built saberstaffs, or lightsabers that have two blades, one emerging from each side of the hilt. The hilt itself would have to be larger than most, but I believe that a double-bladed lightsaber would suit you well."

Rey nodded. "Sounds good!"

Master Yoda made a noise in his throat behind her. "Huyang, forgotten the past, you have."

"The past? Master Yoda, you Jedi always say to keep yourself in the moment, correct?"

"Well, yes."

"Then the past shouldn't matter." With that declaration, Huyang turned back to help Rey make her lightsaber. By the time they had entered the system Coruscant was in, she had a saberstaff ready to ignite. However, the younglings were all so excited to show her theirs that she decided to go last. So Banlar ignited his first, and a blue blade sprung forth. Kaadra went next, with a green blade coming out. Chilon, bouncing on his heels, was impatient to show everyone his blue saber. Finally, Rey persuaded Ryma to ignite hers, which was also green. Rey herself went last, making sure the younglings were far enough away to be safe before starting both ends of her saberstaff.

Two yellow blades sprung forth, and, though she was surprised at the color, she smiled at how _right_ it felt. She gave it a few experimental twirls, with the younglings laughing and applauding in the background. She turned it off and clipped it to her belt, as a voice from the cockpit informed them that they were about to begin their descent to the planet below. Huyang retreated to wherever he had been before Master Yoda had called for him, and the Jedi fastened themselves into their seats. The ship soon touched down on the landing platform, and Rey undid her restraints and rushed out to see Obi-Wan waiting for her. She smiled. "Hi. I'm back!"

He chuckled. "I see that. Come, let's see your lightsaber."

Her smile grew wider, and she unclipped it and ignited it, holding it perpendicular to her body. Obi-Wan froze in his tracks, staring like he had seen a ghost, before turning and running, Rey assumed to their quarters. She looked (down) at Master Yoda. "What…just happened?"

He sighed. "Old memories, your lightsaber stirred up. Talk to him, you must."

"Uh…I don't think he wants to see me right now, remember? He just ran from me."

"Afraid, he is. Go to him, you must."

"Afraid of me?"

"No. Someone in his past."

Rey groaned, realizing that she wouldn't get a straight answer out of Master Yoda, and followed Obi-Wan. She knocked on the door to their quarters, and, upon receiving no response, she entered slowly and hesitantly. Upon seeing him on their couch with his head in his hands, she gently said, "Master Kenobi? Obi-Wan?"

He looked up. "I'm sorry, Rey. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"It's all right. What's the matter? Master Yoda seemed to think that it wasn't a good idea, but Huyang disagreed with him. Said something about the Jedi needing to live in the moment."

He laughed, but it was more of a sad chuckle than a laugh from amusement. "That's what my master would have told me if he knew I was acting like this."

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered by a Sith…a Sith who wielded a saberstaff."

Rey covered her mouth. "I am so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. Not at all. But-" he stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "you're going to need to practice with that thing. I can't help you very much, though; I've never used one."

She smiled. "I'm sure I can figure it out. My main weapon back home was a staff, so this shouldn't be too different."

Obi-Wan returned her smile, and Rey felt grateful that she had managed to lift his spirits (especially since she was responsible for them falling in the first place).


	14. The Malevolence

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 13: The** _ **Malevolence**_

Rey brushed a short strand of hair that had escaped her three buns behind her ear as she strode through the corridors of the ship. She met up with Obi-Wan on the bridge, as he was staring out at the fleeing _Malevolence,_ a ship belonging to the cyborg General Grievous. It had recently tried to destroy a medical station for clones in the Outer Rim; however, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Master Plo Koon had managed to cripple it. Master Plo and Admiral Yularen stood beside Obi-Wan, looking out the viewport. "Commander, what is the damage level to the enemy ship?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She's lost her primary shield and stabilizers, but the ship is so massive it can take all the fire our cannons can give it."

"We must summon reinforcements," Master Plo stated.

"That's why I'm here, Master Plo," a familiar voice said from behind the small group. Anakin and Ahsoka approached from behind.

Rey grinned as Obi-Wan greeted him, "Anakin. Were you able to contact Master Luminara?"

"Yes, Master. She's busy with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements nearby. She won't be able to give us support until she's turned them away."

"Then we'll have to make do with what we have." After a couple more minutes of watching the ship slowly try to creep away, he continued, "Admiral, status report."

"They aren't attempting to jump to hyperspace. Their hyperdrive must be damaged."

"This is our chance. All ships, target the bridge. Maximum fire power!"

Rey watched in awe as the lasers began ripping into Grievous's ship, expecting it to explode into a ball of flames at any moment.

Suddenly, Ahsoka gasped. "Master, I'm picking up a signal near the enemy vessel! Something just came out of hyperspace!"

"Enemy reinforcements?" Anakin asked.

"No…it looks like a…Naboo ship?" Ahsoka was extremely confused, but Rey's thoughts immediately went into active mode. _Oh, no, Padmé is getting in trouble. Again._

A single glance at Anakin told her that, while her mind went into active mode, his went into panic mode, as Obi-Wan ordered, "Gunners, stand down!" He turned toward Anakin. "What in blazes are they doing out here?"

"Ahsoka, contact that ship!" Anakin commanded.

"Naboo cruiser, identify yourself," she said over the comlink.

"This is Senator Amidala," the figure in the hologram said. _I knew it._

"Padmé? What are you doing out here?" Anakin demanded.

"I was sent on a special mission! The Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty!"

"Get out of there as fast as you can!"

"Have we been hit?" a droid voice asked in the background.

"I'm afraid it's much worse than that," Padmé answered.

"Padmé, what's happening?" Anakin asked.

 _How has no one else realized that he is much more panicked than he should be?_

"I'm being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam! I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip! Continue your attack! You must destroy this monstrous ship!"

Anakin clenched his mechanical fist. "Admiral, order our ships to stop firing." Then he turned and began walking off the bridge.

"Where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Somebody has to save her skin."

"I thought you might say that," he said, following.

Rey stood still for several moments, looking at a stationary Ahsoka and the two departing Jedi. Finally, she huffed. "Wait for me!" She dashed off to catch up with the two. The three entered a ship, where Anakin and Obi-Wan sat down, leaving Rey standing and hoping Anakin wouldn't do anything crazy. "I trust you've already formulated a brilliant plan to rescue the Senator," Obi-Wan stated dryly.

"As a matter of fact, I have."

"This should be good," Rey muttered.

Anakin gave her a dirty look as Obi-Wan asked, "But do we have a Plan B? Every operation needs a backup, Anakin."

"I don't have a backup-yet. But I do have a plan for getting on that ship."

"Really?"

"The enemy's sensors are obviously damaged, so we'll sneak in behind them and dock at the emergency airlock."

"That's your plan? Just fly there, land, hope they don't spot us, and walk in the door?"

"Basically."

"Told you it would be good." Rey smirked.

"Oh. Brilliant. Let's get going," Obi-Wan said, and Anakin took off, the ship exiting the hangar. As they approached the _Malevolence,_ Obi-Wan commented, "If they spot us, we'll be pulverized."

"They're too busy repairing the ship. They don't have _time_ to notice us," Anakin reassured.

"Subtlety has never been one of your strong points, Anakin."

"Everything I know, I learned from you, Master."

"If only that were true."

They docked at the airlock, as per Anakin's plan, and they got out of the ship, Obi-Wan saying, "Anakin, you're crazy. Spinning is not flying."

"But it's a good trick."

"And it can get you out of a tight spot. One time, I was flying a freighter, and my friend was in the gunner position-we were being fired upon-and I flipped the ship upside down when the gun got stuck so he could use it," Rey said, smiling at the memory of Finn. The doors ahead of them opened as Obi-Wan reminded them, "We do not want to be spotted."

Rey raised her eyebrows as she took in the two battle droids staring directly at them. "A bit late for that."

"Ah, I knew it! It's them!" one cried.

"Oh, no," the other groaned.

The three quickly sliced them in half. "You stay here, R2," Anakin said.

As they rushed through the halls of the ship, Anakin's comlink went off. "Yes?"

"Master," Ahsoka's voice answered. "We found the senator. I'm patching her through."

"Padmé!"

"Anakin!"

"Are you all right? Where are you?"

"I'm on the lower levels. I'm fine, but I don't know for how long. Droids are everywhere."

"Obi-Wan, Rey, and I are onboard, too."

"What! What are you doing here?"

"We came to get you off this ship. Ahsoka, how can we get to the senator?"

"According to our scans, there seems to be a large, open area in the center of the ship. It should be halfway between the two of you."

"We're on our way. Did you hear that, Padmé?"

"I'll be there."

The three Jedi began making their way to the area Ahsoka had described. Several trains whizzed by below them.

"I don't see her, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

"Neither do I," Rey agreed.

"She's here, you two. I sense it." They all continued looking around until Anakin said, "There," pointing toward an area they could see a firefight going on.

Rey nodded. "Definitely Padmé." The three Jedi leaped down onto a passing train, then onto another, where two of the battle droids firing at Padmé started shooting at them, but Anakin and Obi-Wan redirected the shots back at the droids, who collapsed. Padmé pushed the protocol droid with her onto a train before jumping onto one herself. Anakin called her name and jumped down to a train beside her. Rey and Obi-Wan watched as a super battle droid blew up part of the tracks in front of Padmé, and she jumped toward Anakin, who brought her towards him with the Force. "Nice catch!" Obi-Wan called. "We'll fetch the droid!"

They raced toward the train carrying the droid, and, when Obi-Wan spotted him, he lifted him out of the crate he was hunched in and pulled him in their direction. Before the droid was able to join them, however, another train came along and blasted into him, pushing him in front of it. "Blast! That's not good,"

"Nope. It's not. So…do we go after him?"

"Let me comm. Anakin first." He pushed a button on his wrist-com. "Anakin, we got separated from your droid."

"Threepio!" Padmé exclaimed.

"I'll take care of it." Anakin groaned. "We'll meet you back at the _Twilight._ "

"No! We can't leave yet. I overheard Grievous. Their hyperdrive is almost repaired."

"We're already headed in that direction," Obi-Wan said. "We'll make certain that the hyperdrive stays offline." He disconnected the comm., and the two started running down a nearby hallway.

"We're probably going to meet up with Grievous, aren't we?" Rey asked.

"Most likely."

"Wonderful." The two approached the door to the room where two battle droids were repairing the hyperdrive. The droids looked up at them, but they didn't seem to be in shock or horror, as most droids are. The reason for that became abundantly clear as about twenty droids, battle, superbattle, and droidekas, came from out of nowhere. They heard a hoarse laugh from behind them and turned to see Grievous jump to the ground. "Hello there," he rasped.

Rey gulped.

"General Kenobi," the cyborg continued, "did you really think I would leave the hyperdrive unguarded?"

"Anything is possible. You haven't exactly impressed me today."

Rey whispered through gritted teeth, "Why are you sassing him? We are _surrounded_ inside _his_ ship."

"Kill them," Grievous ordered his droids.

Rey glanced around nervously. "Plan B?"

"Trust the Force…oh, and…jump!" The two leaped into the air as soon as the droids started shooting. They each landed between two droidekas, and both Force-pushed one toward a line of battle droids, knocking them into the chasm below. When Grievous started shooting at them, Rey ducked behind the control panel as Obi-Wan used the remaining droideka's shield to block Grievous's shots. Obi-Wan pushed the droideka into Grievous and took off running, with Rey following after she had sliced into the control panel a bit with her lightsaber. More shots came at them, but they deflected them without turning around. "Now what?"

Obi-Wan's comm. chimed before he could answer her. "Obi-Wan, come in, Obi-Wan."

"Anakin, I'm afraid Grievous is on to us."

"Yeah, we noticed!" he snapped.

"We'll rendezvous back at the _Twilight_. The fleet must engage the _Malevolence._ " Before Obi-Wan could finish his statement, however, the comlink was cut off.

"What happened?" Rey asked.

"They're jamming our transmissions."

Rey nodded in understanding as they ran back to the area with the trains, hearing the metallic banging that was Grievous's footsteps echo behind them. They leapt from train to train, as the cyborg followed them. They began dueling, Grievous's blue and green clashing with Obi-Wan's blue and Rey's yellow. She ignited both ends of hers, trying to knock Grievous off the train. He had to jump backward to avoid her low swipe. "Jump, Rey!" Obi-Wan called.

"What?"

"Jump!" he insisted. She huffed, turned off her lightsaber, and basically fell onto a passing train below. Obi-wan followed soon after, slicing into the train Grievous was still on as he tumbled down. They made their way into a hallway that would lead them back to their ship, but battle droids caught up with them. "There! Anakin, Padmé, and the droids!" Rey pointed straight ahead.

"Hold the ship!" Obi-Wan called, deflecting blaster bolts as they hurtled themselves into the lift they would take to the _Twilight._ Anakin threw some crates in the droids' path, and all of them made it onto their ship safely. "I'll contact the fleet," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin sat down to pilot. "Artoo, release the docking clamp."

The astromech did, and they were free of the _Malevolence._

The ship shook as it was hit. "I think we have company…" Rey observed.

"Time for some clever tricks, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

"That's what I was thinking," he answered.

"Just so long as those 'clever tricks' don't involve crashing, I agree," Rey said, holding on to the back of Obi-Wan's seat. The Republic ships ahead began to fire on the _Malevolence,_ as the _Twilight_ shook again. "You know, we have guns! You can shoot back anytime!" Anakin snapped to Obi-Wan.

"I was just about to-"

"I've got it," Padmé interrupted.

"I'll help," Rey said, and the two girls started destroying the droid fighters.

"For a Senator, Padmé seems to know her way around," Obi-Wan said.

Several minutes later, Padmé absolutely obliterated a fighter closing in.

"Nice shot, Senator!"

"Beginner's luck," she responded.

Rey snorted. "Yeah, Padmé, we saw you on Geonosis; you're not a beginner at shooting _anything._ "

Artoo beeped, and Threepio translated for them, "Pardon me, sir, but Artoo's scan on the enemy ship shows that their hyperdrive is activating."

"Don't worry about it," Anakin answered.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked in shock.

"That had better mean that you did something on there," Rey replied.

"Let's just say, I did."

The _Malevolence_ turned toward the moon and jumped into hyperspace, soon crashing into it. Rey distantly noted that the last enemy fighter, presumably the one containing Grievous, jumped to hyperspace. Obi-Wan turned toward Anakin. "I imagine that's the 'something' you did?"

"All part of the plan, Master," he responded with a smile. They flew back into the hanger of the cruiser, preparing to go back home.


	15. Familial Bonding

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 14: Familial Bonding**

Rey, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka had a few days of leave on Coruscant, and Rey decided that she should probably go visit Kylo while they were in the Temple. So she made her way down to where they were holding him and stared the guards down to make them leave before entering. He smiled at her. "Finally decided to stop being angry with me?"

"Well, that happened a week or two ago, but I've been…really, really busy, and I've barely been on planet for three hours straight before we're deployed again." She put her head in her hands.

He hesitated. "You do know I was teasing you, right?"

"Yes, I do…but fighting a war is _hard!"_

"Tell me about it. I've been fighting one for a while…though, admittedly, I was on the wrong side."

"Well, if a Sith Lord is the one in charge on this end, who can say whether I'm on the right or wrong side?"

"A Sith Lord is in charge on both ends of this war, remember? I think you're on the side of the lesser of the two evils, because the Sith Lord here is still in hiding…even though the Jedi and the rest of the galaxy are basically in a lose-lose situation"

Rey nodded slowly. "But this Sith Lord I'm actually taking orders from is the Master."

"True…but we're getting off topic. How's Operation Uncover-the-Sith-Lord/Don't-Let-Our-Grandfather-Turn-to-the-Dark-Side going?"

She laughed heartily. "Love that title…as for the question…could be better, could be worse. Actually, after I'm done here, I plan to go find him and attempt some grandfather/unknown granddaughter bonding."

He chuckled with her. "We should probably think of a better title."

"Yeah…Operation Save-the-Galaxy?"

"Too generic." He cocked his head. "Operation Destroy-Sidious?"

"Too obvious. Operation Save-Our-Family?"

"Also too generic. Operation Prevent-the Empire?"

"Also too obvious. Operation Actually-Win-the-Clone-Wars?"

"Operation Make-Anakin-Fulfill-the-Prophecy?"

"Huh?"

"Ask him. Anyway…Operation Stop-the-Existence-of-Darth-Vader?"

"Operation Don't-Let-Han-Solo-Die?"

He winced. "Seriously, though, what about Operation Sonrise?"

She bit her lip. "Well, it sounds like an interesting mix between generic and obvious, I'll give you that."

"See, the attack on the Jedi Temple that Grandfather led was called 'Operation Knightfall,' 'knight' as in 'Jedi Knight,' you know, starting with a 'krill,' not just a 'nern.'"

Rey slowly nodded. "Well, despite that, 'nightfall' and 'sunrise' mean opposite things, so that might be actually a good idea…"

"Yes, and if we spell 'son' with an 'osk'-"

"It could refer to us! Or my father…" She trailed off.

"Yes, or even Grandfather, meaning 'the rise of the son of the Force.'"

"Is that the prophecy thing you mentioned earlier?"

"Sort of. Again, you should probably ask him. Or Obi-Wan."

"All right. Speaking of…I think I should go find Anakin."

"Yeah, I guess you should."

She turned to the door, saying, "Bye, Kylo," over her shoulder.

"Ben."

She whirled back around. "What?"

"Please call me Ben. That's my real name."

She nodded slowly. "All right…Ben." She hurried out, intent on finding Anakin in an attempt to undo some of the damage that Palpatine had caused. Upon reaching out with the Force, she sensed him in one of the hangars of the Temple. She started moving in that direction. She found her grandfather kneeling beside a laying down Artoo with a bunch of tools near him. When he started groping around for a tool, she knelt next to him, as he muttered, "Where is that hydrospanner?"

She grabbed it and stuck it in his hand. "This one?"

He jumped and whirled around. "Rey. You startled me."

"Sorry. Can I help?"

He shrugged. "If you want to."

She leaned over to the droid. "What are we doing?"

"Just doing some maintenance and tinkering."

"Regular upkeep, then?"

"Yes."

"I did that type of thing back home at Jakku; I scavenged for a living, so knowing how to repair mechanical objects was a very useful skill."

"I see. I can sympathize…my mom and I were slaves when I was a child. Our owner had a junk shop, and I worked there from the age of…three, maybe? That's when he won Mom and me in a bet. I'm not sure exactly when I actually started working, but I couldn't have been much older."

"I was nine when I was stranded on Jakku. A junk dealer named Unkar Plutt sort of took me in; I mean, he gave me a place to live and work to do, and, when I did it well enough, he fed me, but…he wasn't a father figure, you know?"

"Yes, I know. Until I joined the Jedi Order, Watto was the only male figure in my life." He let out a heavy sigh. "I never had a father, but I was luckier than other kids who grow up like that; I had a good mother who was everything to me."

"You didn't know your father?"

"No, I never had one. My mom just became pregnant; apparently I'm supposed to be the Jedi's 'Chosen One': I'm supposed to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force."

"Wow. That sounds a bit…stressful."

"Yes, it is. But, anyway, despite never having a biological father, when I joined the Jedi, I received a good, strong father figure in Obi-Wan when I was nine." His eyes widened. "Don't ever tell him that I said that!"

She chuckled. "I won't, but you probably should." He went to argue, but she cut him off. "I'm serious! He thinks you're angry with him over your mother."

"I was, but then I realized that it wasn't his fault; it was the Council's."

She bit her lip. "I probably should let him tell you this, but…oh well. He told me that he should have let you go to help her, and he was angry with himself for not sending you to find him."

He cocked his head. "I didn't know that. Why hasn't he told me?"

"I told him to. He probably thinks that you won't believe him."

"Probably so. I would have if he had tried to say that sooner. But…now that I've had time to think and clear my head, I don't blame him anymore."

Rey glanced up to see Obi-Wan approaching. "Maybe you should tell him that." She nodded toward the older Jedi. "You go; we're almost done with Artoo, and I can handle what we have left."

Anakin stood slowly without acknowledging her words, but she knew he had heard her. He covered the distance between him and his former master in a few strides. As Rey watched the quiet conversation, the two talked for only a few moments before they wrapped their arms around each other, and she could tell they were sobbing. She grinned as Artoo beeped, seeing the two. "Yes, they're finally mending their relationship." She sighed as she stood. "Things are beginning to look up."


	16. Chasing Dooku

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 15: Chasing Dooku**

Rey and Obi-Wan hurried through the corridors of the Separatist frigate, slipping into the prison level, past a lone battle droid lookout. "You're sure he's still here?" she whispered harshly.

"This was his last known location, and I sense his presence nearby."

"Good enough."

Obi-Wan pressed the button to open the cell door they were standing in front of. It slid down to reveal a pair of Niktos who immediately tried to join them. "Don't bother getting up. You're not the prisoner I'm looking for," Obi-Wan quipped as he reclosed the door.

Rey chuckled as they moved to open the next one. It appeared to be empty, but Obi-Wan stepped inside anyway. Rey hung back at the entrance and was startled by a dark figure jumping down on Obi-Wan. Both Jedi pointed their lightsabers at him. "Oh. It's you."

She gasped in relief. "Hello, Anakin."

"Hi, Rey."

"This is how you thank me for rescuing you? Pounce on me from the ceiling?" Obi-Wan held out Anakin's saber, which he had kept with him.

"Kinda difficult without a lightsaber." Anakin took it. "Thanks."

"Did you manage to locate Dooku before landing in jail?"

"Well, I know he's on board. I might have been able to do something about it if I'd had my weapon," Anakin pointed out as they left the cell and began walking down the hall toward Dooku's location.

"It was important for you to arrive without it so that your capture would be convincing."

"Oh, they were convinced, all right. But how come I'm the one getting caught all the time? It doesn't look good."

"When you're a Jedi Master, you can make the plan."

"That's just it; how can I become a Jedi Master if I'm always being caught?"

"At least you're a master…at getting caught."

"Very funny." They opened a set of doors to see Dooku sitting cross-legged on some sort of slightly raised circular platform. "Surprise, surprise," Anakin said.

"If it isn't Count Dooku," Obi-Wan added as the three ignited their lightsabers.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought I sensed an unpleasant disturbance in the Force. I see you freed young Skywalker. Where might he be if you weren't always around to rescue him?"

"Sir, there's a Jedi cruiser attacking!" a battle droid could be heard saying.

"Your ship is surrounded, Count. Republic troops are boarding as we speak," Anakin said, raising his lightsaber.

"Jedi fools," Dooku replied before the platform dropped down a tube and out of their line of sight.

"I should have seen that coming!" Obi-Wan snapped as Anakin turned his saber off. "What are you doing?"

"Following him."

"Not that way. We need to cut him off."

"You two cut him off." Anakin jumped down the tube. "I'll follow him and meet you at the hanger!"

"Why do I even try?"

"I don't know; he never listens to you."

"I suppose that I usually hope that that will change someday." The two turned and ran out of that room and toward the hanger as fast as they could. They entered just as Dooku's ship took off. The two raced to a nearby shuttle, easily destroying the two droids guarding it. Obi-Wan dropped into the copilot's chair, and Rey leaned over the pilot's seat, saving the actual seat for Anakin. They lifted off, not raising the boarding ramp until they could sense Anakin jumping in. "I thought you were following Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was. I followed him here," he shot back. As the droids fired upon them, Anakin expertly guided them out of the hanger and underneath the door the droids had assumedly activated to trap them. They followed Dooku's ship, while Obi-Wan commed Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, Dooku managed to escape. We're in pursuit, but we could use reinforcements. Follow us in what ships you can round up."

"We'll get there as soon as we can," she replied. He cut the connection so he could fire at Dooku and his droid escorts. After only a minute or two, he got a good enough hit on Dooku to make him start spiraling toward the surface of the planet below. "That was easy!" Anakin said.

"Let's hope that's all we have to do to get him," Rey muttered.

"Lucky for you, I'm an excellent shot!" Obi-Wan declared. "Oh, and I agree with you, Rey."

"Well, now those fighters are attacking!" Anakin told him.

"I'm on it." He began shooting at the droid fighters, with the one in front closing in on their ship.

"Uh, he's getting too close!"

Obi-Wan destroyed the lead fighter, but the next two flew past them. Well, one flew past them, and the other slammed into the side of the ship. They started careening down toward the surface. "Lucky for you, I'm an excellent _pilot_!" Anakin snapped. They hit the surface rather roughly and continued to slide after touching down.

"For all your expertise, this is not a very smooth landing."

The ship began to spin around as Anakin tried desperately to stop it. Inertia carried Obi-Wan nearly over the instrument panel, and Rey continued to hold on to the back of his seat with a death grip.

"If you'd hit that second fighter, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

They finally came to a stop and exited the ship. "I've had better landings," Obi-Wan griped.

Rey sighed. "We're not leaving in that thing."

"Dooku." Anakin pointed to the nearby ship that they all recognized as being the Sith Lord's. They walked over to it. Hearing a beeping on the side, Obi-Wan investigated. "What's this? A homing beacon?"

"Which means the distinguished Count is waiting for help," Anakin inferred. "So he can't be far off."

Obi-Wan looked the ship over. "His engine is damaged. He's not going anywhere."

"Not without a homing beacon," Anakin said, slicing it off the side of the ship.

"Do I need to remind anyone that we aren't going anywhere either unless we contact someone for help?" Rey asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, Ahsoka's reinforcements should follow us here, so we should be seeing them soon." Obi-Wan looked around, finally pointing toward something he had seen. "There. Caves are a good start."

When they arrived at the entrance, they all stopped for a moment. "Strange," Anakin observed.

"You sense it, too? Many lifeforms in there," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Yeah. What does that mean?" Rey asked.

"I don't know what they all are, but Dooku's one of them." Anakin ignited his lightsaber.

"Let's try to get him before something else does." Obi-Wan followed suit.

"Oh, now that's a comforting thought," Rey groused as she, too, turned her lightsaber on.

As they walked through the caves, Rey turned in a full circle, admiring their surroundings. "I didn't know anything like this existed…are there caves on a lot of planets?"

"Several do have them," Obi-Wan began, but he stopped when they heard a type of animalistic screeching. "What's that?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I highly doubt it's friendly," Rey said as the three circled around each other. Suddenly, the sound of falling rocks jarred them as Obi-Wan shouted, "Run!" Rey darted back the way they had come, throwing herself to the ground and rolling away from the rocks. She managed to avoid them, lying in the shadows of the walls. She felt a dark presence approaching as she listened for stirring from Anakin or Obi-Wan. _It's Dooku._ She froze, her hand creeping toward her lightsaber. He stood in front of a rock, lifting something with the Force. _Anakin's lightsaber…that looks like Luke's that I was using? Why haven't I noticed that?_

"You won't be needing this anymore, Skywalker," she heard Dooku say before he left the cave. After she was sure he was gone, she leapt to her feet. She dimly heard more rocks falling near the entrance. Once she could no longer sense Dooku anywhere near them, she began calling, "Anakin! Obi-Wan!" She tried to push the rocks off of the last place she had seen Anakin. "Anakin! Can you hear me?" She grabbed a rock with the Force, yanking it away and tossing it to the side. Some of the rocks began to rise, but she wasn't doing anything to them. "Anakin?" she asked again, pulling more of the rocks away.

He coughed as he emerged. "Rey? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She touched his arm. "You're the one who was just trapped underneath a pile of rocks; are _you_ okay?"

"Yes." He turned and began to shout, "Master? Obi-Wan! Can you hear me? Master!" He started pulling on a nearby rock as Rey reached out with her senses to find Obi-Wan. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling. "Anakin, stop making rocks fall on top of us!" Rey shouted as she darted away.

"Anakin, when I tell you to run, run," a familiar and welcome voice said.

"Master! You're alive!" Anakin said.

"Obi-Wan! Are you all right?"

"And, Anakin, where's your lightsaber?"

"It…got knocked out of my hand."

"By a rock?"

"Yeah, by a rock." He started looking around. "It's got to be here somewhere."

Rey bit her lip. "Well, actually, no. Dooku took it before he left."

"He did what?"

"He ran off with it. Sorry. I was on the ground, trying to recover from the rock slide."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to get it back from him later. Now, we need to find a way out."

"Yes," Rey agreed.

"A little light would help, Obi-Wan!" Anakin called.

"Right." He ignited his lightsaber, but it flickered and sputtered out. "Silly thing. It was working a minute ago."

"You don't suppose it got hit…by a rock, do you?" Anakin smirked as he tossed a pebble at Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

Rey chuckled. "Here." She lit both ends of her lightsaber, holding it up so that the other two could also see their surroundings. "How about over there?" She nodded in a direction between the two boys, but an animalistic screech behind her made her whirl around and point her saber toward the source of the sound. It was a strange creature with red skin, lots of claws and teeth, and a muscular body. She let out a gasp. "Why am I attacked by wild beasts so often when I'm around you two?" It gained on her, and she slashed at it. "Seriously! On Geonosis, I fought a rathtar _and_ a rancor! Now…this thing! What is it, anyway?" she managed to say.

"A gundark!" Anakin answered as they ran around the cavern (while Obi-Wan fiddled with his lightsaber off to the side). "But I thought gundarks were only found on Vanqor!"

"Then this system must be Vanqor," Obi-Wan replied.

"Then that would make this…"

"The mother of all gundarks? Precisely."

"Are you-" Anakin began.

"Gonna," Rey continued.

"Help us?" they chorused. Rey swung her saber at its hand/foot thing when it grabbed Anakin and began to lift him towards itself. Obi-Wan levitated a rock and flung it at the gundark's head, sending it flying back. The three lined up as Anakin said, "Well, you took your time."

They started throwing rocks at it and continued until it was buried in rubble. "It's a pity," Anakin mused. "I was just starting to sense a connection."

"Should we leave you two alone? Or would you prefer to find a way out of this hole before she wakes up?" Obi-Wan asked playfully.

Rey rolled her eyes. "You two…"

They started moving rocks away from the path out of the cave when another screech echoed. "Sounds like another gundark."

"It's too far away to worry about," Anakin answered calmly.

"It won't stay far away," Obi-Wan reminded him.

"That means that we should hurry," Rey said, raising her eyebrows. The three set down the large rock they had been jointly lifting, jarring the ground enough that cracks appeared, and green smoke began to seep in. "Uh, oh! New problem!" Anakin cried.

"That's not good!" Obi-Wan said.

"It's just gas," Anakin replied.

"You just said it was a problem!" Rey snapped, while Obi-Wan answered, "Yes, probably toxic gas."

"With our luck, it is," Rey muttered.

"That's good," Anakin said carefully. "Maybe it'll kill your gundark."

"And maybe it will kill us!" Obi-Wan responded.

"Come on." Anakin apparently realized that he was right. "Let's get out of here."

They began moving rocks much more quickly than before. "This isn't going to work," Anakin said after a few moments. "I can't breathe."

"As always, I'm open to sugges-" Obi-Wan collapsed before he could finish.

"Obi-Wan!" Rey called, as Anakin admonished, "Come on, Obi-Wan. Don't give up," before he, too, fell to the ground. Rey dropped to her knees, trying to catch a breath of clean air. Suddenly, the rocks in front of them were blasted away, and light entered the cave. "What was that?" Obi-Wan roused himself enough to ask.

"I have no idea," Anakin answered.

"Hopefully it's help!" Rey replied, staggering up to the new exit, taking in deep gulps of air.

"Master!" Ahsoka called. "Looks like I got here just in time."

"What do you mean, 'Just in time'?"

"You were in very big trouble."

"Trouble?" Obi-Wan answered. "We were simply searching for Count Dooku."

"Yeah," Anakin said, seemingly grateful for the help. "We had the situation well under control, my little Padawan."

"Oh! I see! So, which part of the situation did you have under control? The blocked entrance, the poison gas, or that gundark behind you?" she asked.

"Gundark?"

"Oh, you mean the one that's 'too far away to worry about?" Obi-Wan asked, glaring at Anakin.

"Block the entrance!" Ahsoka ordered the clones, as the gundark got closer to escaping. Thankfully, it was soon trapped inside.

"There's still Dooku to deal with," Anakin said, turning away from the cave.

"You let him get away?"

"No, not…get away…exactly…just…." He trailed off, looking to Obi-Wan and Rey. "Chime in, any time."

"Oh, no. I'm enjoying this far too much," Obi-Wan responded.

"Same here." Rey chuckled. The four made their way into the ship waiting. Rey leaned over to Ahsoka. "We did need help, no matter what the boys say. Thanks."

She giggled. "You're welcome."

They flew the shuttle back to the nearby capital ship waiting for them. Obi-Wan contacted the Jedi Council to let them know what had happened, while Rey went to her quarters and took a well-deserved (at least in her opinion) nap. She made her way back to the bridge when she woke up, finding the other Jedi speaking to a hologram of Master Windu. "His only stipulation is that you arrive unarmed," he was saying.

"Unarmed?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"We know very little about these pirates," Obi-Wan began as Rey slipped over to Ahsoka. "What's going on?"

"A pirate has contacted the Republic and claims that he and his men have Dooku in custody. The Council is sending Skyguy and Master Kenobi to confirm that they have him. But…obviously, the 'unarmed' thing is a bit of a concern."

"Um, yeah, I can see how that might not turn out well."

The hologram disappeared, and Obi-Wan said, "Well, this should be fun."

"Am I coming?"

"Do you want to?"

She thought about it. "Why not?"

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Rey, Obi-Wan, and Anakin flew to Florrum in the _Twilight,_ where they were greeted by a group of pirates with weapons trained on the Jedi. One of them waved a metal detector-type thing over the three of them before saying gruffly, "Follow me."

They entered a nearby building to find…basically a poorly-lit cantina. A pirate dressed in an extravagant red get-up said, "Gentlemen…and lady…may I offer you something to drink? I was told only two were coming, not three. And I certainly didn't expect to see such a beautiful girl with a pair of Jedi!"

"No, thank you. Rey is my Padawan. Where I go, she goes. The Council must have forgotten to mention her to you," Obi-Wan said. The pirate shoved a drink toward them, the green liquid inside solidifying Rey's agreement with Obi-Wan's decision. "Congratulations on your capture of Count Dooku. Very impressive," Obi-Wan continued.

"Yes, it was," the pirate answered. "Even a Sith Lord is no match for my warriors!"

Rey bit her lip as she glanced around at the inebriated group. _I think we could take them._

"He put up quite a fight. Blasters, cannons, that glowy-thing." He imitated the sounds of a lightsaber.

"You mean a lightsaber?" Obi-Wan clarified.

"That's it," he agreed. "And I don't need to tell you those things can do some damage. Carved up some of my best men pretty good before I could get the jump on him."

Anakin said, "And how exactly did you get the jump on him? With this?" He grabbed his lightsaber from the pirate's strange orange-red pet, causing about ten weapons to be pointed at them.

"Just had to do it, didn't you?" Rey asked.

Anakin said nothing, but he did surrender his weapon to the pet.

"We have no interest in disagreeing with you. All we want is to confirm you are holding Dooku, and we'll go," Obi-Wan tried to salvage the situation.

"I will arrange a meeting," the pirate replied.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Soon, Rey, Obi-Wan and Anakin found themselves in front of a holding cell with two pirates guarding it. The door opened to reveal a prisoner who was definitely Dooku. "Look how the mighty Sith Lord has fallen," Obi-Wan taunted.

"This place suits you, Count," Anakin joined in.

"It wasn't too long ago that you yourself were in similar surroundings on my ship," the Sith reminded Anakin.

"Yeah, but now I'm free, and you're not."

"I'm confident the situation will rectify itself. Soon."

"Soon you'll be brought to trial by the Senate and most likely spend a very long time in a cell just like this one," Obi-Wan corrected him.

"And that's if you're lucky," Anakin snapped.

"Oh, my naïve young Jedi, you must be overly optimistic if you think these Weequayans plan to let you leave this planet."

Anakin laughed. "They're planet-hopping thieves looking for a quick score. They have no interest in picking a fight with Jedi."

"They are devious and deceitful…and, most importantly, stupid."

"It's a wonder you don't get along with them, Dooku. You have so much in common," Obi-Wan replied as they left the cell.

"You underestimate them at your own peril, Kenobi," he said menacingly.

After the cell door closed and they had put some distance between themselves and Dooku, Rey whispered, "I hate to be the one to bring this up, but what if he's right?"

"How do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

"About these pirates. I grew up around this sort of people; if they can find a way to make more money that doesn't end in them also getting killed, they'll take it, no matter who they might make angry."

"Don't worry, Rey. If they plan to betray us, we'll sense it long before it happens."

"I hope you're right…I'd hate to have to say 'I told you so.'"

A pirate approached. "Jedi! Now that your business is completed, we invite you to join us in the great hall for a banquet! And a true Weequay banquet is not to be missed."

"Let us contact Coruscant, and then we'll gladly join you," Obi-Wan said.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

"No question they have Dooku. Send the ransom," Obi-Wan said to the hologram of Chancellor Palpatine, Master Windu, a Senator, and a Representative.

"He's being securely held?" the Chancellor asked.

"Yeah, and very cranky about it," Anakin answered.

"Good. Senator Kharrus and Representative Binks will be dispatched immediately." They cut the transmission, and the Jedi went back into the compound. "I'm just going to say this once," Rey said.

"What's that?" Anakin asked.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

The three sat down, and the pirate leader (Rey still hadn't figured out his name) approached them. "Now can I persuade you to join us for a drink? It's a tradition…in the name of friendship!"

"All right, but nothing too strong. He's flying," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Bring our guests some…refreshments!"

Three cups were brought to them, but Rey declined hers. "I've never drank anything before…don't want to lose my focus."

"To a successful transaction!" the pirate toasted.

"To powerful pirates and new friends of the Republic!" Obi-Wan answered. Rey couldn't help but notice the two men surreptitiously switching cups with the pirates next to them.

"Enjoy your evening, gentlemen…lady." The pirate left.

"I still don't get it," Anakin muttered.

"Get what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"How a bunch of drunken pirates managed to catch Dooku when we couldn't."

"Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here."

He sighed. "I still don't get it."

"It's to remind us to be humble and never too proud to accept a gift when it comes our way."

"Well, to unexpected gifts then."

The two glasses clinked. "Here, here."

Rey grinned. "Indeed." One of the pirates approached and offered her a cup. She took it hesitantly, sniffing it to see what it was. To her relief, it was water, and she raised her up in salute with Anakin's and Obi-Wan's.


	17. Escaping the Pirates

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 16: Escaping the Pirates**

Rey groaned as she sat up. "Ow. Major headache."

A silky, refined voice that made her spine crawl as she remembered the first time she had heard it said, "As a gentleman, I'd like to offer you something to help with that. However, I'm afraid that I have nothing."

She glanced around. "Do I dare ask you what happened?"

"I do not know, but it appears our pirate friends decided that binding the four of us together would deter any attempts to escape."

She looked down to see that she was attached to Anakin, who was attached to Obi-Wan, who was attached to Dooku. "Wonderful."

"Indeed."

Rey opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by a groan from Anakin as he sat up. "Master…Rey…what happened?"

"Well, I guess that pirate brew is stronger than we thought."

"I only took a sip!" Anakin defended himself.

"We were drugged, obviously."

"But why would they risk losing the ransom?"

"The deal appears to have changed. They must be trying to quadruple their payday."

"A shrewd observation, Master Kenobi," Dooku put in.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. It's you."

"I did warn you these pirates were devious. You will notice our shackles are bound together. I have tried to separate us…to no avail."

The tone he used for the last few words sent shivers down Rey's spine. "Really? You had to say that so creepily?"

"It's bad enough we have to be in the same cell, but could you spare me your constant chatter?" Anakin asked scathingly.

"And while I hold my tongue, the three of you will devise a strategy for getting off this Force-forsaken planet?" Dooku asked.

"Yes!" the boys said.

"Excellent."

"Anakin had better not add too much to the plan," Rey muttered. "Or else we'll never get out of here."

"Hey!"

Several minutes of argument later over exactly how they would get out, Dooku decided to take over. He used the Force to lift a plate of fruit outside the cell, causing Anakin to snap, "Don't you think our priorities should be escape first, eat second?"

The plate started floating toward them, and Rey caught a glimpse of a knife setting on it. _I see,_ she thought, just as Dooku said, in Obi-Wan's general direction, "Do control your protégé's insolence so I can concentrate." The plate dropped to the ground, leaving just the knife gliding toward the lock.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

"What?" he snapped in response.

"Control your…insolence. The Count is concentrating."

Seconds later, the knife had entered the lock, and the door slid open. "Well done, if I do say so myself," Dooku observed.

"Most impressive," Obi-Wan agreed…somewhat sarcastically.

As they crept along the hallway, Anakin raised a very good point. "We do know where we're going…don't we?"

"Hush, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "Do we know where we're going?" he asked Dooku.

"Quiet." He knocked out an approaching pirate. "I was brought this way when I was captured. It was open then."

Anakin had been searching the unconscious body. "Hey, I found the door key."

"This is the way to the hangar."

"Yes, but are you sure it's safe?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Good question," Rey agreed.

"The key works!" Anakin said.

"Is it safe?" Obi-Wan pressed.

"Of course it is," Dooku answered, as the door opened to reveal seven pirates with blasters that they immediately pointed at the four.

"Right." More came from behind them, having been brought by the orange-red pet. "Hold it right there, Jedi."

They were swiftly returned to their cell, where the pirate leader- _I really need to figure out his name_ -inspected their bonds. "What were we thinking, following a Sith Lord?" Anakin hissed.

"We were thinking that we wanted out of here, and you wouldn't cooperate with coming up with a plan, that's what!" Rey snapped.

"Oh, what to do, what to do, what to do. I don't want to kill you, per say. In fact, you seem like decent people, even you, Count. This is just business, and, once I get my money, we can go back to being friends. It's very simple. Now, try not to complicate things by breaking out again."

As soon as the pirate was gone, Obi-Wan observed, "We've got to get out of here before the Republic arrives with the ransom!"

"For once, I agree with you," Dooku stated.

"Look out! The world's about to end!" Rey said.

Anakin chuckled at that. "So how are we going to go about this?"

Obi-Wan turned to the pirate outside the cell. "You do not want to stand guard," he said, waving his hand.

"I do not want to stand guard."

"You want to deactivate the cell bars and…go out drinking!"

"I want to deactivate the cell bars and go out drinking." He pushed the button that would open the door and left. The four exited the cell. "Not bad," Anakin said.

"Oh, yes, very impressive, Master Kenobi," Dooku agreed.

"Pretty good, Master, although I have done that before, and in pretty much the exact same situation, too…" Rey trailed off as she remembered trying to escape Starkiller Base alone.

"Without any training, you performed a Jedi mind trick?" Obi-Wan shook his head. "You're more powerful than you look." They snuck through the halls-again-trying to avoid being seen by the pirates. Rey and Anakin took the lead, with Dooku dragging his feet at the end. "Oh, hurry it up, Dooku," Obi-Wan hissed as they ducked behind some crates.

After the pirate guards had passed, Anakin said, "You should be more patient, Master. After all, the count is an elderly gentleman - and doesn't move like he used to."

"I suppose you're right," Obi-Wan agreed.

"I would kill you both right now if I did not have to drag your bodies," Dooku seethed.

"Should I be flattered or worried that he only said two…" Rey mused. "Nobody answer that, by the way."

Alarms began sounding, and the four ran. Anakin kicked a door down, and they tumbled to the ground outside. "Now we just have to get beyond that wall," Obi-Wan observed.

"Let's go!" Anakin said, grabbing a nearby pole and running toward it. _He's not going to try to vault over…oh, great. He is._ They went sailing through the air. Somehow, by some miracle, Anakin caught the top of the wall; the other three, however, were left dangling. "This is not going well," he observed.

Rey bit her lip. "Hold still."

"What? Why?"

"Trust me!" She closed her eyes, feeling with the Force for the gears in his mechanical hand that would tighten or loosen his grip. She tightened it almost as far as it would go, ensuring that he couldn't let go even if he wanted to.

"What are you doing?" he asked, presumably feeling that.

"Avoiding getting dropped!" He was quiet after that, conceding the point, she supposed.

"Don't let them get away!" one of the pirates below them shouted, and blaster fire continued coming at them. She noticed Obi-Wan and Dooku swaying out of the corner of her eye, but she was more concentrated on getting up to that ledge. She gripped the energy cord-thing that attached her to Anakin, thankful it wasn't so hot it burned her. She then began hauling herself up the wall, just like she was exploring the Star Destroyer on Jakku. Her hands finally gripped the edge that Anakin was hanging on to. She glanced around for any way to give herself an extra boost. "Anakin, can I step on your shoulder for just a second? Thanks," she said before he could answer. With that final boost to get her up, she managed to roll onto the wall, letting out a sigh of relief as she did.

She reached for Anakin's hands, grabbing his flesh hand with one of hers and controlling the Force to undo the tightening of the grip of the other before gripping it as well. "Help me out here," she said. "No offense, but you're heavier than I am."

He chuckled. "None taken." Between the two of them, they managed to pull him mostly up, just as a blaster shot singed Rey's arm. "I'm fine," she said before he could ask, turning to see the pirate leader pointing his blaster at them.

"Hondo," Anakin growled.

"Is that his name? Hondo…I'll try to remember that." She stood. "Pull Obi-Wan and Dooku up; I'll handle him."

He raised his eyebrows. "All right."

"You didn't happen to hold on to that pole, did you?"

"Uh…no?"

She shrugged. "No big deal, really."

As Anakin began pulling Obi-Wan toward him, Rey faced Hondo. "Stand down, little lady," he said.

She smirked. "Yeah, no. Not happening."

"Then I might have to hurt you. And I certainly wouldn't want to do that."

Her smirk stayed in place. "I wouldn't stress about it." He approached, and she planted her foot in his gut. He started coughing, and she took advantage of his distraction to grab him and toss him to the ground. He recovered from the shock, however, and took a swing at her. She dodged it and retaliated with a punch of her own. His blaster had gone flying, but neither of them broke their concentration long enough to go after it. they continued their fight for several minutes, although Anakin nearly spoiled it multiple times by pulling too much on the rope-thing and knocking Rey to the ground. She kept Hondo away long enough to recover, though, and, finally, she pushed him with the Force far enough that she could grab his blaster and point it at him. "Don't. Move."

He wisely obeyed her, and she turned just enough to see the rope binding her to Anakin and shot it. She handed it to him next. "Shoot the other one," she said. He quickly did and gave it back. "Now we wait for the Republic."

"Oh, I see them," Obi-Wan said.

"Good." Rey's gaze and aim never wavered from Hondo. "Someone going to go meet them and get the ransom?"

"I will," Anakin said, but before he could take three steps, Obi-Wan called, "Stop, Dooku!"

Rey whirled around, taking four quick shots at the Sith Lord before he disappeared. She huffed. "So all this was for nothing?" She turned back to Hondo. "Where's Anakin's lightsaber?"

His pet showed up carrying it. Hondo took it and tossed it to Anakin. "Good. Now, we're going to go down and meet Senator Kharrus and his escort, and then we will leave. Clear?"

Hondo nodded his agreement, and the Jedi followed him down into the courtyard, where they met…"Jar Jar?" Anakin asked. "Where's the senator?"

"Hesa not survive the crash," the odd creature sadly informed them. "But wesa brought the spicen!"

"Great, but they lost Dooku, so we need to get going," Rey said, still pointing the blaster at Hondo. "Anakin, start up our ship, would you?"

He disappeared, and soon she could hear the roaring of the engines. "So what now, Jedi?" Hondo asked. "You going to arrest me?"

"No," Obi-Wan said. "Rey, lower the blaster."

She sighed. "Yes, Master."

"Captain, you have nothing we want. And since we're not prisoners any more, you have no bargaining power."

"What? Yousa was in bombad trouble? Mesa rescued you!" the representative exclaimed.

"No, Jar Jar, we weren't in any trouble," Obi-Wan quickly reassured him. He turned back to Hondo. "Let's leave on even terms."

"Jedi! After everything, you're just going to walk away?" Hondo asked.

"We have no quarrel with you, and we seek no revenge."

"Indeed. Very honorable, Master Jedi."

Obi-Wan turned to enter the ship, but he stopped and addressed Hondo one more time. "Oh, Captain? You will find that Count Dooku does not share our sense of honor. And…he knows where you live."

Rey couldn't help but chuckle.

 _A/N: So…Rey being there finally changes something. Since this arc didn't really accomplish anything (except make me laugh…seriously, "The Gungan General," this episode, is one of the funniest of the whole series), I figured she could safely kick Hondo's rear in a fight without any problems with continuing to do CW, as long as Dooku still escaped._

 _And for anyone who says she couldn't win that fight…which TFA did you watch? Cause it obviously wasn't the one that I did._


	18. Orto-Plutonia

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 17: Orto-Plutonia**

Soon after returning from Florrum, Rey, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were sent on a mission to check on a Republic outpost on a backwater planet called Orto-Plutonia. Rey was unimpressed by the fact that it was another snow-covered planet, like Ilum, but almost worse, as well as the fact that a pair of dignitaries from a nearby moon were accompanying them. They stepped out of their transports onto a snow-packed wasteland with more snow dancing in the air. "And this is the planet's tropical zone," Obi-Wan informed them.

"It's not Tatooine, that's for sure," Anakin answered.

"Or Jakku, for that matter," Rey put it, huddling as deeply into her coat as she could.

Anakin nodded in agreement. "Captain Rex, have your men survey the area. Place as many sensor beacons as you can before dark."

Rex responded, "Right away, sir. Unload that gear! Let's move!"

Rey could hear R2-D2 and C-3PO arguing in the distance, but she was soon distracted by a call from one of the dignitaries. "General Kenobi."

"Chairman Cho, Senator Chuchi. I suggest you wait here until we can secure the area," he answered.

The chairman said, "I respect your judgment, General Kenobi, but I will go where I choose. This is sovereign Pantora territory."

Anakin seemed confused. "I thought this planet was uninhabited, and therefore, it's not aligned."

He responded rather scathingly, "Our moon of Pantora is the only civilization in this system. I'm the one who asked the Senate to protect this planet. This wasteland belongs to us."

"With all due respect, Chairman, this is for the Senate to decide, not us," Obi-Wan said, trying to clear the tension.

But the Jedi report to the Senate, which is Senator Chuchi of Pantora," Chairman Cho pressed.

"Technically speaking, Master Jedi, the Chairman is correct. Since the planet is uninhabited, the moon of Pantora reserves the right to continue as its protectorate," the soft-spoken senator said.

"Point taken, Senator. Anakin, stay here with the Senator and the droids while we secure the base," Obi-Wan ordered.

"Am I included in the 'we,' or are you leaving me on babysitting Anakin duty?" Rey asked.

"Hey!" Anakin protested as Obi-Wan laughed. "No, you can come with me."

She nodded. "Good." Rey, Obi-Wan, the chairman (who was already getting on Rey's nerves), and the clones crept toward the Republic base. They flung the doors open and immediately shined their lights inside as the clones pointed their blasters around, ensuring no droids lurked about in the shadows. Inside the dark room, several clone helmets were on stakes, as if on display. "I don't get it," Rex said upon seeing them.

"Me neither," Rey agreed.

"It must be Separatists," Chairman Cho insisted.

"I am not sure," Obi-Wan responded.

"I've never seen Separatists do anything like this," Rey put in.

"I didn't think Jedi Padawans were to make themselves noticeable," the chairman sniffed.

Rey put her hands on her hips. "Good thing I'm not technically a Padawan, then." She whirled around and began to go toward the control room. She poked around for a couple of minutes before Obi-Wan and the chairman arrived. "Do you think the Separatists're building a forward base to attack Pantora?" the chairman was asking.

"I don't think we're dealing with Separatists," Obi-Wan answered.

"Me either. These computers haven't been touched. Separatists would have downloaded any data they found and then destroyed them. Something else is going on," Rey said.

Rex approached the three. "Sir, our scouts have spotted a droid base on the other side of the ice ridge."

The group quickly hurried there to investigate, though they left the Pantorans and a few clones at the Republic base. When they arrived, the base was obviously deserted, since no droids attached them. _Either that, or they finally know that attacking Jedi is stupid for them when Dooku isn't around._ She thought about it. _No, it's probably deserted._ Her belief was reinforced once she saw the droid heads on stakes, just like the clone helmets back at the Republic base.

"By the look of things, I'd say whoever attacked our base took out the droids also," Anakin observed.

Obi-Wan nodded before turning around. "Rex, help Anakin place the sensor beacons. You four, come with me."

"Yes, General," the clones acknowledged.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan said, and Rey trailed after him and his clones. They slipped upstairs to the higher levels of the base and were able to see Anakin's group soon. "Did you find anything?" Obi-Wan called.

"I found some large footprints," Anakin answered.

"Have one of your men make a cast." Obi-Wan, Rey, and the clones entered the droid's control room. Anakin soon joined them. "Sensors are in place."  
Obi-Wan fiddled with the data computer. "I think I've found something." However, as he pressed whatever button he was pressing, nothing happened. "Blast it," he muttered.

Anakin smacked the computer, and a hologram appeared. Rey couldn't help but smirk as a droid appeared and said, "6-8-5 to command. There are too many of them! They've overrun the base. We need reinforcements!" A large creature suddenly leaped onto it, and the hologram winked out.

"What was that?" Anakin asked.

"Whatever it was, it's a good warrior," Obi-Wan answered.

"The droid's log indicates they were investigating the southern canyon," Rex put in.

"Sounds like a good place to start." They left and got on their speeders, racing that direction.

Obi-Wan and Anakin immediately began scoping the area out with their macrobinoculars. "There's some kind of reflection up there. Do you see it?" Obi-Wan asked as he passed his to Rey to let her look.

"Yep," Anakin agreed.

"I do, too."

Another reflection appeared in the distance. "Well, they know we're coming," Obi-Wan observed.

"Let's go," Anakin said. They drove along a rock bridge to find a small village of strange white-furred creatures, the same kind that they had seen on the hologram.

"Steady, Anakin," Obi-Wan chided as his former Padawan reached for his lightsaber. "They're only curious. Let's not provoke them as the droids and our troops must have done." One of the creatures, one that appeared to be a leader, came forward and said something to the effect of, "Follow me," waving his arm for emphasis.

As they were lead through the village, Anakin muttered, "Too bad we didn't bring 3PO along. How do you plan on communicating with these things?"

"Patience. Maybe they're smarter than we are," Obi-Wan mused.

"Well, I can understand them…." Rey said slowly.

"What? How?" Anakin asked, but, before she could answer, they were standing in front of one with a spear in his hand. He thrust it into the ground while saying something like, "We live in peace here. However, if you mean us harm…"

 _I assume the spear in the ground is the end of that sentence?_

"Well, say something, Rey, if you understand it!" Anakin snapped.

"Just shut up," the other two chided him.

She bit her lip, trying to decide if she could speak in the strange language consisting mainly of grunts and growls, but they were shown into the tent behind him before she needed to. A small group of the creatures sat in a circle around a fire. They were discussing whether or not the three were a threat and what should be done about them. They held up a crude drawing of a battle droid, basically saying that they would wind up like the droids who opposed these creatures had if they meant harm. Rey cleared her throat. "I can understand you; can you understand me?" she said rather slowly (in Basic).

The creatures looked around at each other in confusion. She sighed. "Fine then." She turned the sharpest glare she could onto Anakin. "Skywalker, if you dare laugh at this…" She left her threat unfinished, but she could tell he understood.

She attempted to force her mouth to form syllables in the odd, primitive language. "Now do you understand me?"

They appeared rather astonished that she was able to speak their tongue, but one finally said, "Yes, we do."

She nodded. "Good. We come to you in peace. We mean you no harm. The…" Rey couldn't translate "droids" into their language, but she came as close as she could. "the metal ones, like your drawing, they are our enemies."

"If you mean no harm, will you leave us be?"

She turned to Obi-Wan. "They want to know if we'll leave them alone."

He sighed. "Chairman Cho won't like that thought."

"Who cares?" she muttered.

He chuckled. "Tell them yes. We'll just have to explain to the chairman."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

They soon left to make their way back to their base (but not before both Obi-Wan and Rey received bear hugs from the Talz, as they discovered the creatures were called). Rex met them. "Glad you made it back, sir. It's getting nasty out there."

"You don't know the half of it," Anakin answered.

The Pantorrans walked up, and the chairman asked, "What did you find?"

"It seems we've stumbled onto an inhabited planet," Obi-Wan replied.

Chairman Cho scoffed. "Impossible. Our explorers have spent much time here over the long history of Pantora. No one lives here. They're trespassers."

"With respect, Chairman Cho, these creatures, the Talz, aren't advanced enough to master space travel. I think they may have been here longer than Pantora."

"Whoever they are, they belong to us. This whole system belongs to us."

"Your majesty," Senator Chuchi cut in, "if there are life forms here, then the Senate must decide jurisdiction."

"They are savages. Look at what they've done. They've slaughtered your troops."

"They only want to be left alone. The droids attacked them, and I'm afraid our outpost got caught in the middle," Obi-Wan argued.

"They must be subdued. They're dangerous. Captain Rex, prepare your troops for battle."

"We promised their chief there would be no retaliation," Anakin put in.

"We've arranged a meeting between their high council and you and the Senator. They want peace," Obi-Wan continued.

"We can't send troopers. They'll think we lied."

"These creatures are little more than animals. You can't lie to an animal. They can't be trusted."

"But, your majesty-" Senator Chuchi began.

"No! It is obvious these creatures are not covered by the convention of civilized systems. The Jedi Council has no say in the matter.

"If the Jedi are able to communicate with them, their status is in doubt."

Rey's respect for Senator Chuchi rose several notches with her continued argument.

"Do you stand against your chairman, Senator?"

"Of course not, your majesty."

"If we're going to meet with Thi-Sen and his council at the arranged time, we'll have to leave now," Obi-Wan intervened, stopping Rey from saying something with potentially devastating consequences.

They rode the bikes to the appointed location, and Rey heard Chairman Cho tell Rex, "Captain, put your men on that ice ridge. We will attack as soon as the savages arrive."

"There will be no attack, chairman," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"You will do as I command. This planet is under my jurisdiction!" Cho snapped.

"Nothing is under your control, Chairman. The Talz are already here."

"Their scouts have been following us for some time," Anakin added.

"It seems Thi-sen doesn't trust you any more than you trust him."

"Can't say I blame him," Rey murmured. "Thi-Sen, I mean."

"Rex, tell your men to stand down. Stay here and don't do anything to provoke them," Anakin called.

"Yes, sir."

"Your Highness," Obi-Wan greeted Thi-Sen.

"We have returned as promised," Anakin said.

Threepio thankfully had been brought along to interpret this time. "Chieftain Thi-Sen welcomes you to his home and hopes you come in peace. He wishes to be good neighbors, but he does not wish you to remain on his planet."

"Listen, droid, translate everything I say and exactly as I say it," the chairman snapped.

Chuchi quickly jumped in. "Would you like me to represent Pantora in this matter?"

"Not on your life, Senator. There will be no diplomacy this time. Listen here, you savage, this world belongs to the moon of Pantora. And as the Supreme Chairman and exalted ruler of Pantora, you will not command me to leave this planet or do anything else."

"Your Majesty, we can't."

He ignored the Senator."Droid, tell him."

"Dear," Threepio said.

"This is going to be good," Rey muttered.

"I recommend a less confrontational discussion. The Talz are easily provoked," Obi-Wan pleaded with the chairman.

"That didn't go over very well," Anakin said upon seeing Thi-Sen's reaction.

"Chairman, I promised the Talz that we would leave them in peace," Obi-Wan snapped.

"This is now an internal affair of Pantora," the chairman responded just as vehemently.

"The great Thi-Sen, son of suns, asks again that you leave or it will mean war," Threepio translated.

"Then war it is."

Rey groaned audibly as the Talz stormed out. "Seriously?"

The chairman and his guards marched out, eventually followed by the Jedi, senator, and droid. "Troopers, mount up and follow me," the chairman ordered.

"What's up, general?" Rex asked Anakin.

"You're going to have to stay with the chairman until we can work things out. Protect him at all costs."

"Mount up! We're moving out!"

"Senator, you know a preemptive strike is illegal," Anakin said. "Isn't there anything you can do to stop him?"

"I'm afraid not. He has proclaimed this conflict an internal affair."

"You could petition the Jedi council for an intervention," Obi-Wan suggested.

"You mean, without his authorization?"

"There must be someone on your moon who could approve it," Anakin urged.

"The speaker of the assembly. He has the power."

"Let's get back to the base. The storm is letting up. Maybe we can get a transmission through." Obi-Wan led the others away.

While the clones and Chairman Cho went after the Talz, Senator Chuchi contacted the speaker of the assembly and asked him to do something, anything. Finally, he responded, "The assembly has decided that the actions of Chairman Cho are out of order. Senator Chuchi, you're given the authority to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the sovereign planet of Pantora and the Talz."

"It is decided then," Obi-Wan said.

"Pilot, let's get moving," Anakin ordered.

"Let's end this conflict now while we can!" Rey agreed.

While they flew to meet the Talz, Rex, and the chairman, Obi-Wan asked, "Senator, now that you have the authority, how do you plan on making peace with the Talz?"

"Actually, Master Jedi, since you're far more experienced, I was hoping you could negotiate on Pantora's behalf," she answered.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Senator," he responded gently.

"But I don't understand. The Jedi serve the Senate. I must order you to-"

"Senator, it is your people the Talz are at war with. If the violence is to stop, it is you who must represent your people."

When the gunships arrived, they could see four clones making a last, desperate stand against a large group of Talz. The fighting came to a brief halt as they touched down. "Good to see you, sir," a clone said, and Rey was selfishly glad to hear the subtle inflections that identified him as Rex.

"You okay, Rex?" Anakin asked.

"It's just a scratch," he answered.  
"What's going on?"

"We're in quite a mess, sir. Eleven dead, the rest wounded, including the Chairman."

Chuchi knelt beside him. "Chairman, can you hear me?"

"Senator, good. You must avenge me. As my final command as chairman of Pantora, I order you to destroy the Talz!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Chairman. The Pantoran assembly has called you out of order. I am to negotiate peace."

"No! Impossible! Peace? Never! I died for our people." He slumped over, his body limp in death.

"Senator, now is the time," Obi-Wan urged as the Talz roared behind them.

She lifted the helmet from Cho's body and yanked a spear out of the snow. "Protocol droid, come with me."

"Threepio, get going," Anakin said.

"Yes, Master Ani."

Chuchi stood silently and calmly before the army of Talz, prompting Thi-Sen to get off of his mount. "Droid, translate for me," she ordered.

"Yes, Mistress," he answered.

Rey watched as she drove the spear into the snow and placed the helmet atop it. "To die for one's people is a great sacrifice. To live for one's people, an even greater sacrifice. I choose to live for my people. What do you choose?"

Thi-Sen lifted his spear and thrust it into the snow, with Threepio translating his words, "He chooses to live as well."

We will leave Orto-Plutonia under the watchful eyes of the Talz from this day forth and recognize your sovereignty as a free and equal people." She and Thi-Sen bowed to each other, with all the Talz following their leader's example and bowing before the courageous young Senator.

"Well done, Senator," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes. Most impressive," Anakin agreed.

"Thank you, Master Jedi," she said. Anakin stepped into the gunship, but Obi-Wan and Chuchi lingered, so Rey stayed as well (what? She was curious). "Now that you have created peace between your people and the Talz, remember one crucial thing," the Jedi said.

"Yes, Master Kenobi?"

"Make it last, Senator. Make it last. And be an example to others so not only this war, but every war waged may come to an end as well."

"I will. I promise you."

Rey leaned over to Anakin after they were all on the gunship. "I like her," she whispered. "She reminds me of a certain Senator Amidala…you?"

He smirked. "I see some similarities." He laughed. "Actually, when she was a queen, Padmé did nearly the exact same thing."

"Really?"

"Yes. Remind me to tell you about that."

"I will."

 _A/N: First, you guys are lucky to get this chapter today. For one, I only finished it yesterday, and for two, I have no power at my house! Fortunately, I'm crashing at my cousin's for the day, so they have Internet._

 _Second, a note about Rey and languages: To me, it seems that she has a Force ability to understand every language. Speaking them, of course, might not be included in that, but since she spoke whatever language Teedo was speaking in TFA, I imagine she could. So that's why she can speak to the Talz._


	19. Senator and Schematics

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 18: Senator and Schematics**

Rey wandered around the Jedi Temple, looking for her grandfather. She had just come from a rather pleasant meeting with her cousin Ben, and now she was determined to hear the story about her grandmother that Anakin had alluded to after the incident with the Talz. She made her way through the many twisting halls of the Jedi Temple, guessing that she would find Anakin somewhere in the vicinity of the hangar. Her suspicions were soon proven correct as she saw his long legs extending out from underneath his starfighter. She slipped closer silently, jumping and perching on the wing. "I'm ready for that story now," she said conversationally.

Anakin yelped, a loud crack informing her that he had hit something. "Rey?" he asked, sliding out to see her.

"Hi." She grinned.

He rubbed his head. "Didja have to scare me like that?"

"Well..."

"That was rhetorical." He tugged on her foot. "Off."

"If you'll tell me that story about Padmé." She dropped to the ground, settling down to sit cross-legged.

"Right. Padmé. Well, it started soon before she and I met and ended soon after. Naboo, her planet, was being threatened by the Trade Federation, and Obi-Wan, who was still a Padawan at the time, and his master, Qui-Gon, went to Naboo to try to negotiate peace…."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Rey smiled as Anakin finished the story. "She was only fourteen, you say?"

"Yes, but she was just as brave and feisty as she is now." He winked before glancing at his chrono. "Oh, it's getting late. I'm actually supposed to join her for supper tonight..." He stopped. "Would you like to join us?"

"She wouldn't mind?"

"She told me to bring you to see her soon."

Rey grinned. "Then I'd be happy to." She reached for her comlink. "Oh, I'd better go get that; I left it in my quarters. I need to tell Obi-Wan, too."

He nodded. "All right. I'll go on and meet you there, then?"

"Sure, but I need an address."

"Oh, right." He pulled out his comlink. "I'll send it to you."

"Thanks."

"See you there, then?"

She grinned. "Yes." Anakin turned to get into a nearby speeder, while Rey went the opposite direction, back to her quarters. The door slid open and revealed Obi-Wan waiting for her. "Oh, hi."

"Hello." He smiled.

"You're waiting for me? I hope you haven't been waiting long." She hurried inside and began searching for her comlink.

"Yes, I am, and no, I haven't." He pointed. "It's over there."

She glanced in that direction and found that he was right. "Thanks." She snatched it up and clipped it to her belt. "Did you need me for something?"

"Just to tell you that we're being sent to Ryloth tomorrow. Anakin and Master Windu are also going."

"Ahsoka, too?"

"I believe so."

She nodded. "I'll be ready. Oh, and just so you know, Anakin invited me to join him and Padmé for supper tonight."

"Well, you should get going, then. Tell Senator Amidala I said hello."

She grinned. "I will." Checking her comlink, she saw the address Anakin had sent her. "Well, I'm off!"

"Have fun!" he called.

"I'm sure I will."

Rey hurried to 500 Republica, where Anakin had said Padmé lived. She rang the doorbell, and Threepio opened it. "Oh, my! Mistress Rey!"

"Hello, Threepio. Did Anakin tell you I was coming?"

"Yes, Master Ani did mention something of the kind. He and Mistress Padmé will be delighted to see you, I'm sure. They're in here." He led her to a room with several couches that looked like it was for relaxing and talking, or something like that. "Thanks, Threepio," Rey said without looking at him, too busy staring at her grandparents who were currently kissing…very passionately, too. She loudly cleared her throat. When they didn't respond to that, she said, quite calmly, somehow, "You know, I did have my suspicions about you two, but I could never quite confirm them. Until now, at least." _Well, aside from the fact that Ben and I exist. That's decent confirmation, I suppose._

They both jumped, pulling themselves apart. "Rey-" Anakin started.

She held up a hand. "Don't worry; I won't tell anybody."

Padmé let out a deep sigh. "Thank you. And welcome!"

"Anakin did tell you he invited me, didn't he?"

She chuckled. "Yes, he did."

"Good. I'm not intruding too much, am I?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Thanks."

Anakin coughed. "If you ladies would excuse me for a moment." He disappeared very quickly.

Rey started giggling, and Padmé soon joined in. Finally, Rey caught her breath and said, "Oh, Padmé. I know this is quite a long shot, but I gave you something on Geonosis. Remember? The datastick that fell out of Dooku's cloak?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Have you shown that to the Senate yet? If not, may I have it back? The Force is telling me that I should show it to the Council first."

She went over to a nearby drawer and started rummaging through it. "I actually haven't shown it to the Senate yet. With all the business regarding the war that we've had to conduct, it just hasn't been a good time." She held it up. "Ah. Found it. Here you go."

"Thanks." Rey was about to slide it into a pouch on her belt, but she stopped. "Actually, do you have somewhere I could plug this in to look at it?"

Padmé shrugged. "Sure." She led Rey to a data terminal, where she popped the datastick into the spot and pulled up a set of schematics. Anakin walked back in and came to stand behind them. "What's that?"

Rey answered, "We got it from Dooku back on Geonosis, and I gave it to Padmé, but I thought the Council should see it. First, though, let's take a look at it ourselves."

"Well, it looks like a space station," the senator observed.

"Pretty big for one," Anakin countered.

"Exactly my thoughts. I wonder what this dish is for?" Rey pointed to a circular shaped indentation on the schematic, zooming in on it. "Is it a weapon of some kind?"

"May I?" Anakin asked, reaching around the girls. He managed to pull up descriptions of the station. "Yes, Rey, it looks like that is a weapon…with enough fire power to destroy a planet? Surely not. Surely Dooku isn't even that evil."

"Dooku, no. Sidious? Who knows."

"Fair point."

"Does it say where it was supposed to be built?"

"Uh, Geonosis."

Rey sighed. "Well, this is an interesting development."

"Yes, it is," Anakin agreed.

Padmé sighed. "It's too bad that no one, aside from Dooku, who wouldn't tell us even if we asked, has seen Sidious. If he's in the Senate, like Dooku told Obi-Wan, this might be enough to bring him in."

Rey's eyes lit up. "Someone besides Dooku has!"

Anakin's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Ben-er, Kylo! Someone else trained him, but he does know Sidious's identity."

"Why hasn't he told anyone that?"

"He's tried, but no one on the Council will believe the word of Dark Side acolyte!"

"The Senate might," Padmé pointed out.

Rey opened her mouth to suggest that Padmé come ask him who Sidious was, but she felt the Force basically slam onto her, forbidding her from saying that. "I-I do think we need more evidence first, just in case he happens to be someone high up and influential."

Anakin sighed. "She's probably right."

"Still," Rey quickly added. "We could at least start thinking about people who are profiting from this war, since Sidious started it."

"Financially?"

"Or politically." She shrugged. "It's something, at least."

"Rey's right. We should at least think about it," Padmé said.

"For now, though," Rey said, pocketing the datastick, though not before noticing the name of an engineer whose help would be needed to complete the project. _Galen Erso…I need to research him._ "Why don't we actually eat, since that's why Anakin and I came."

The three laughed and went to go enjoy each other's company, forgetting about wars and planet-destroyers for an hour or two.

 _A/N: This is now officially my longest story (chapter number-wise, anyway; it's been the longest in word count for a while)!_


	20. Nerra

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 19:** _ **Nerra**_

Rey walked with Obi-Wan and Master Windu to the nearby gunships as they discussed taking back the planet of Ryloth. Anakin and Ahsoka were breaking through the blockade, making a way for the other Jedi to land on the surface. "First trick will be getting our troops on the ground," Obi-Wan said.

"If you take the city of Nabat first, we'll have our landing zone," Master Windu reminded him.

"Well, it's time to meet the natives." The two entered their transport and took off to the surface.

"We need to remember why we're here. We came to aid the Twi'lek, not destroy their home," Obi-Wan told the clones (and Rey, she supposed). "Cody?"

"That means we'll be taking it back the hard way. Minimal destruction with blasters and droid poppers only. No rockets or detonators. Check your aim. Keep an eye out for the locals. Am I understood?" the Commander ordered.

"Sir, yes, sir!" the clones responded in unison.

Cannon fire came from the surface below, targeted at the ships they had just left.

"General! We're receiving a transmission from General Windu!" one of the clones called.

"Put it through," Obi-Wan said.

"Obi-Wan. We can't risk landing the larger transports until you take out those guns," Master Windu informed him.

"Pull back. We'll take care of it," the younger Jedi Master answered. The hologram winked out, and Obi-Wan turned to the clones. "Who's up for a challenge? We're not getting any reinforcements until those guns are out of commission."

"Here we go again," one commented dryly.

"Yeah, that sounds like an Anakin idea…are you sure you haven't spent too much time with him?" Rey asked playfully.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as they landed in a clearing in the middle of a forest.

They ran along until droids began firing at them, at which the clones ducked behind trees and Rey and Obi-Wan deflected the bolts. "Come on, men, let's go! Go, go, go!" Cody called. "That bunker is gonna be a problem, General," he added.

"Leave the bunker to Rey and me. Bring in your troopers on my signal!" He glanced at a pair of clones nearby. "You two wanted action. Follow me."

"You heard him, Waxer," one said to the other.

As they charged forward, Rey couldn't help but ask, "So…do we have a plan, or are we just destroying any droids we come across?"

"Not really." They dropped behind a group of rocks. "Let's take them out! Now!"

Waxer and his friend threw droid poppers toward the droids' location, but they couldn't make the throw. Rey and Obi-Wan gave them a little help after that. The rest of Ghost Company arrived soon after, and Cody reported, "The wall is secure, sir. Are we moving on to the guns?"

"We need to know what the droids have in store for us. Send your best men to scout ahead," Obi-Wan ordered.

"Will do, sir. Boil, Waxer, come with me."

"I guess we're the best," one commented.

Cody, Waxer, Boil, and another clone left, and Rey and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. "How long do you think this will take?" she asked softly.

"Hopefully not long."

Sure enough, Cody and the unnamed clone returned shortly. They contacted Master Windu, and Cody began his report. "Found the guns. They're in the courtyard here and here. But there's a complication. They've taken the locals hostage and they're using them as shields."

"The Twi'lek prisoners will make this difficult but not impossible," Obi-Wan mused. "I still have a good plan for taking out those guns."

"Getting the villagers out of harm's way is our first priority. I have faith in you, General Kenobi," Master Windu announced.

"Cody, we'll go in with everything we have. Clear those hostages."

The hologram winked out, and they prepared to head out. Obi-Wan approached Cody after several minutes. "The men set, Cody? What is it?"

"Waxer and Boil are not responding. They never returned from scouting."

"That isn't like them. They may have run into trouble."

"Sergeant, use the high-powered transmitter to see if you can reach Waxer and Boil."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's get the rest of the men moving," Obi-Wan ordered. "The others will catch up." They began creeping through the village, but, suddenly, a group of ravenous, angry monsters charged at them. "Oh dear," Rey commented, igniting her lightsaber.

"Aim for their eyes!"

"Look out, look out!"

"Fall back!" The clones' voices overlapped in the chaos as the group fled, the creatures giving chase. They were soon basically cornered in an alley, but Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and grabbed each of the creatures' minds, making them follow him. He led them down a small side street, with a weak-looking bridge on top of it. "Shoot the bridge!" he called, and the creatures were trapped. He leapt out, and Rey passed him the lightsaber he had dropped in the chaos. A nearby manhole started rattling, and all weapons were immediately trained on it. However, Rey and Obi-Wan sensed the Force-signatures below it and ordered (simultaneously), "Don't shoot."

Two clones emerged, and Cody snapped, "Waxer, Boil. Where have you two slackers been?"

"Sir, there is an explanation," one said quickly.

"We got sidetracked," the other added, as a Twi'lek girl slipped up from the drainage system, hiding behind the first's leg.

"I think I see what sidetracked you," Obi-Wan said gently, smiling down at the girl. He knelt to look at her on her level. "Hello, little one."

Rey knelt beside him. "Yes, hello." The small part of her that still recognized and enjoyed cute things (the part that had silently squealed upon seeing BB-8) giggled, but she was able to mostly quash it.

"She brought us here through the tunnels. Knows her way around them pretty good, sir," the second clone explained. Rey bit her lip, deciding that there was nothing unethical about using the Force to determine which one he was. _Okay, so that one's Waxer, meaning the first one was Boil._

In the Twi'lek's language, Obi-Wan asked her if she could take them to where the droids were holding the hostages.

She nodded happily, grabbing Boil's gun and trying to pull him with her, calling him brother. Rey smiled at that, as Obi-Wan said, "The girl can lead us through the tunnel to the prisoners. Cody, we're going to need a diversion." They split up, most of the clones going to distract the droids, while Obi-Wan, Rey, Waxer, Boil, and the girl (whose name they found out was Numa) crept through the tunnels. When they arrived at the place Rey assumed the creatures from earlier had been held, Obi-Wan locked a droid in the cages, passing Numa to Waxer. "Rey and I'll take care of this. You keep her here."

They saw the prisoners held in a small crater, with droids guarding them. A firefight broke out in the distance, acting as their signal. Rey and Obi-Wan jumped out and began slicing up the droids. Once there was no more threat, they freed the prisoners and led them into the tunnel. "Waxer, Boil, Rey, come with me."

"We're with you, sir," Boil answered as the three followed Obi-Wan to take control of a nearby tank. They quickly dispatched the last droid, and the clones loaded it with a large explosive of some kind. "Ready, General," Boil called. Obi-Wan blew up some nearby tanks, and then he did it again, but soon, a different style of tank approached, with a tactical droid at its head. It destroyed Obi-Wan's tank and knocked all four of them away in the explosion. Numa ran out to check on her brothers first before darting to the Jedi. As the three of them stood, the tank looming over them, the droid said, "You lose, General Kenobi."

However, just as he was about to obliterate them, his tank was overrun with angry Twi'leks. "Does not compute. Does not compute. Does not compute. Does not compute." The droid stopped talking when his head was literally ripped off. Rey smiled as she saw Master Windu's transports approaching. Rey, Obi-Wan, and Cody went to meet him. "Great job getting rid of those cannons. Now we have a more difficult objective. We must take the capital and free this world," he said.

Waxer and Boil bid farewell to Numa, who stood with her family and watched them leave. She called out, " _Nerra_! _Nerra_!" and waved goodbye.

"Sir, what is that she keeps calling us?" Waxer asked.

" _Nerra_. It means 'brother.'"

 _A/N: So, this chapter was kinda difficult to write with Rey in it, because I don't think she's the type to be overwhelmed by cuteness…but I am, sooooo….yeah. I couldn't really change much about this episode, but, honestly, I couldn't skip it because I love Numa so much. She is absolutely adorable. Was I the only one excited to see her on Rebels?_


	21. Datasticks, Deserts, and Discussion

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 20: Datasticks, Deserts, and Discussion**

Rey stretched as she sat up in bed. "I'm so glad we get shore leave every now and then," she mumbled, rising and dressing quickly. She was about to throw her hair up into her usual three buns, but she stopped. "I think it's time for something new." She pulled the front strands of her hair to the back and tied them off in a simple, thin ponytail, leaving some of her hair loose. "Yes, I like this very much."

She stepped out of her bedroom, smiling at Obi-Wan, who was preparing breakfast. "Good morning."

He nodded. "Good morning." He handed her a plate. "You changed your hair."

She raised her eyebrows as she grabbed two forks and sat down at the table. "It's that shocking?"

"Well, I've only seen you do the other one. Did you usually change your hair more before the Jedi?"

She shook her head, taking a bite. "No. I never really had time. Scavenging was about the only thing I ever did."

"Well, if your life depended on it, then I suppose you would do that."

Rey nodded. "Do you have any plans for today?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I have to meet with the Council, but, other than that, no. Do you?"

Her eyes widened. "Hold that thought." She darted off into her room and yanked open a drawer, rooting around in it. She wrapped her hand around the datastick she had retrieved from Padmé and hurried back into the common room. She thrust it toward him. "Here."

He took the datastick, blinking in confusion. "What…what is this?"

"It's a datastick."

"Yes, I gathered that. Why are you giving it to me?"

"It fell out of Dooku's cloak on Geonosis, and, at first, I gave it to Padmé to show the Senate, but then I had a…vision, of sorts, where I saw that I needed to take it back and show the Council before the Senate. So, since you're meeting with the Council…"

He nodded, tucking it into his pocket. "I'll give it to them."

"Thanks. Now, what were you saying before I darted out of the room?"

He chuckled. "I asked if you had any plans for today."

"Oh, right. I thought I might visit Ben again. I suppose I should; I haven't seen him in a while. Then I might meditate."

He smiled. "You're quite different in that regard from Anakin, I must say. And most certainly not in an unpleasant way." He winked. "But…who is Ben?"

"Oh, right. You know him as Kylo; Ben is his real name, which he decided to go by again."

"I see."

Rey put the last bite of her breakfast in her mouth, put her plate in the sink, and slipped out the door, calling, "Goodbye, Obi-Wan!" as she did. She hurried into the prison area, where Ben was being held, and again stared the guards into leaving. She slid inside. "Hello."

Ben looked up at her. "Oh. You're back. You haven't been by in a while."

"I know; sorry about that. I've just been really busy." She sank down onto the bench (bed?) beside him.

He shrugged. "It's fine. I've been meditating a lot, since there's not much else to do here."

She grinned. "By the way, did you know that Grandpa hates doing that?"

He chuckled. "No, but it doesn't surprise me. Uncle Luke seemed to think that a lot of Mom's personality came from Grandpa, and she hated meditation, too."

"Poor Obi-Wan is just so happy to have a student who actually enjoys it now."

"I would imagine so, yes." He hesitated. "Do you have anything pressing that you need to find out?"

She shook her head. "No…no, not really. I mostly just came to visit. Is…is that all right with you?"

He laughed. "Of course it is! I'm only surprised you wanted to."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "We're cousins; of course I wanted to."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes before Ben asked, "So, what about the galaxy outside Jakku has been most surprising for you?"

"Mostly how many different planets there are, oh, and all the climates! I never knew that there were entire planets covered with snow or plants! And even desert worlds are unique. I mean, Jakku, Geonosis, and Tatooine are all so diverse, even if they are all mostly desert."

They talked about things like this for a while until it was time for Rey to go. She stood up and, to Ben's surprise, gave him a quick hug. "Hopefully I'll see you soon, Ben. Bye."

He blinked in astonishment but recovered before she was gone. "Rey!" he called. She turned around. "I like your hair."

She smiled. "Thanks." She hastened back to her quarters, where she determined that Obi-Wan had to still be talking to the Council, since he wasn't there. She entered her bedroom and closed the door, dropping to her knees and entering the Force. She hadn't been meditating for too long when she saw her grandfather approaching. "Hi, Grandpa," she said.

"Hello, Rey."

"So, how am I doing?" she asked.

"You're doing well, but the clock is ticking. Every chance you get, drive a wedge between Anakin and Palpatine, and bridge the gap between Anakin and Obi-Wan. If you can get those two things in the right order, namely, Obi-Wan first, Palpatine second, you should be in good shape."

She nodded. "Great. What kind of timeline am I working with now? Am I down to a year, maybe two?"

"Yes, I'd say about a year or two before Palpatine takes over. However, you are one year away from an event that will tell you how much impact you've made in Anakin, and…if it will be enough."

"Well, that sounds ominous, but at least an ominous timeline is better than no timeline."

He laughed. "Just…be careful, all right?"

She smiled. "I will, Grandpa. Love you!"

"Love you, too, Rey."

She pulled herself out of her meditation upon hearing her comlink go off. "Hello?" she answered.

"Rey. It's Anakin. I was wondering if you might be up for modifying your fighter while we're here on leave. Sound like fun?"

"Of course! I'll meet you in the hangar."

 _A/N: Rey's new hairstyle is based off the one from the picture from…I think it was a Force Friday product or something? Google Image search "The Last Jedi Rey," and it should come up._


	22. Hondo…Again

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 21: Hondo…Again**

Obi-Wan had shown the Council the datastick with the plans for the superweapon, and they had been very concerned, of course. They were still, however, discussing what to do about them when they received word that they had lost contact with the medical station above Felucia. Since the Council couldn't come to a decision, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rey all set out to investigate. They came out of hyperspace directly above the planet. "That's Felucia. Dead ahead," Anakin said.

"But where's the medical station? I don't see anything on my scanners," Ahsoka replied. The console started beeping. "Wait, there's something. Vulture droids."

"Hang on." Anakin began evasive maneuvers as the droids shot at them.

"I guess we know what happened to the medical station," Obi-Wan commented dryly.

"I guess we do," Rey agreed.

The ship shook and began diving. "That's not good!" Obi-Wan snapped.

"They took out the plasma conduit," Ahsoka answered.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Anakin asked.

"Almost certainly not," Obi-Wan replied.

"One person who thinks like Anakin is more than enough!" Rey added.

"We're doing this the hard way. Starting ejection sequence." All four of them strapped oxygen masks over their noses.

"How come every time you fly, we crash?" Ahsoka whined.

"It's not my fault. It's the ship!"

"Ready to eject."

"Wait," Anakin urged. "Now!"

As the four Jedi free-fell through the atmosphere inside their large-inflatable balls, Ahsoka continued her complaint, "You always blame the ship."

Finally, they were on solid ground again, Obi-Wan clearly in the worst shape. "You alright there, Master?" Anakin asked amidst a coughing fit.

"I'm fine, Anakin."

"Where on Felucia do you think we are?" Ahsoka asked.

Rey was slowly turning in a circle, staring at the plants and environment around them. "I'm not sure, but I don't think I ever want to leave."

"I don't like the sound of that," Ahsoka said upon hearing an animalistic screech.

"And I don't like the look of that." Anakin pointed straight ahead of them, at a group of creatures presumably responsible for the screech. "We don't want to scare 'em."

"Are-are those rancors?" Rey asked.

"I believe so. Anyway, we can't just wander around aimlessly. We need a plan," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"You always taught me to go on instinct," Anakin replied. "My instincts say to go that way."

"That doesn't seem right. I think we should go this way."

"Why do you ask for my opinion? You never do things my way."

"We crashed the ship your way."

"Very funny. I see your sense of humor survived the landing."

"It's about the only thing."

"If you two are done arguing," Ahsoka put in, "I think there's some smoke on the horizon. Which means people. And a way off this planet."

Rey chuckled. "Outsmarted by the Padawan."

They began walking the direction Ahsoka had pointed out. "Look, there's a village," the Togruta observed.

"Maybe they have a ship we can 'borrow,'" Anakin said.

Finally, they reached the village, and Ahsoka noticed, "They're growing healing herbs."

"Nysillin, I believe. One of the most valuable crops in the galaxy," Obi-Wan commented.

"This place looks deserted," Ahsoka said after several more minutes passed without seeing anyone.

"I don't believe it is. The crops are ready to be harvested. Tools are lying about. No, something's amiss."

Anakin added, "Well, there's one thing I learned where I grew up. You want to know what a farmer is up to, look in their barn." They made their way over to a nearby structure and opened the door.

"This is an odd ship for farmers," Obi-Wan observed. "Perhaps someone is here to pick up the sillum."

"I still don't get it. Where is everyone?" Ahsoka asked.

"We should search for them. Maybe something happened. Maybe the Separatists came," Rey suggested.

"Rey's right. Snips and I'll search over there, and you two can look over there," Anakin said.

Rey and Obi-Wan walked away as Anakin and Ahsoka climbed stairs into a nearby dwelling. After a couple of minutes of fruitless searching, Rey gasped. "Obi-Wan. Look." She pointed to four figures entering the house the other two Jedi were in.

"Bounty hunters. Come on. Anakin and Ahsoka might need help." They silently made their way in that direction, entering the house in time to hear Ahsoka saying, "You mean four on two?"

"We don't count you, knee-high," a droid bounty hunter said.

"Do you count me?" Obi-Wan asked, igniting his lightsaber.

"And me?" Rey only ignited half of hers, since they were in a tight spot. The others already in the room readied their weapons as well.

One of the natives rushed in. "Stop. Don't harm them. Can't you see these are Jedi? We are saved."

"Saved?" Ahsoka asked.

"Need I remind you, Casiss, you already made a deal with us?" one of the bounty hunters, the one pointing a blaster at Anakin's face, scathingly asked.

"But with the Jedi's help-" Casiss began.

"Excuse me, but help you with what?" Ahsoka cut in.

"Pirates," he answered, lowering the bounty hunter's blaster. Rey glanced up at Anakin, whose grip on his lightsaber had tightened as soon as he said that word, as Rey's had. Casiss invited the Jedi to a meal, which they agreed to, after which he would tell them the whole story. As they were walking off, Rey grabbed Anakin's arm. "You have bad memories of pirates, too?"

"It seems they frequent desert junkyards that no one with any choice lives on."

"Seems so. Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

She nodded. "I get it. Still, if you change your mind, let me know."

"I will. I promise."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

After they had eaten that night, Casiss explained the problem. "Simply stated, if we don't give the pirates a portion of our crop, they will destroy our homes, with us in them."

"Hmm. I see your dilemma," Obi-Wan said slowly.

"Sillum farming is a meager trade. Without our herbs to sell, we will have no money for food, fuel or equipment."

"And yet you can afford to pay mercenaries."

"These bounty hunters drive a more reasonable bargain than pirates."

"Why not just fight them yourselves?" Anakin cut in.

"Easy for you perhaps, but look at us. We are farmers, not warriors. Even with the bounty hunters' help, I had feared the worst. But now there are eight of you."

"What do you want, Jedi?" the bounty hunter who appeared to be the leader, whose name they had found out was Suki, asked.

"We need a ship. Ours is beyond repair, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan answered.

"The one in the barn. That'll do," Anakin commented.

That's our ride. It doesn't go anywhere without us. And right now we are busy."

"Busy extorting farmers?" Obi-Wan inquired dryly.

"I don't hear you offering to help."

"Unfortunately, we couldn't help even if we wanted to."

"What?" Ahsoka asked.

"Can we talk about this in private, Casiss?" Anakin asked quickly.

"Of course," he agreed amiably.

"Master, these farmers are in trouble. Why can't we help them?" Ahsoka continued once they were alone.

"Believe me, Ahsoka, I would like nothing more. However, we need to report that a medical station has been destroyed. If we stay too long, the Separatists will show up here," Obi-Wan said.

"But-"

"Better they get robbed by pirates than attract the interest of General Grievous."

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka, but I think he's right. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is to walk away and let him handle his own problems," Rey said.

"Pirates! Pirates, pirates. The pirates are back!" a little girl started screaming outside. They all exchanged glances and rushed out.

"That's far enough. I speak for the people of this village. State your name and business," Suki said, blaster at the ready.

The Weequay pirate snapped, "My name is my own business. And my business is taking what's ours!"

"There is nothing here that's yours. Unless you're here to buy it," the bounty hunter countered.

A familiar voice-to three of them, at least-laughed and said, "Buy it? Ha ha! Kenobi! Skywalker! Rey! I can't believe you came all this way to see me."

Rey groaned. "Oh great. _Him_."

"Hondo," the boys chorused in the same tone.

"You know each other?" Suki asked.

"Of course we do. Tell them how far back we go, Kenobi," Hondo said.

"Too far, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan replied.

"Let's see, as far back as when you _locked us in a cell with our arch-nemesis_. Oh, and then I beat you up. That was the highlight of that trip, actually," Rey mused.

"Ha ha! And I thought we were friends."

"If you're truly interested in friendship, Hondo, might I suggest you stop threatening these farmers?" Obi-Wan said.

"Threatening them? Oh, please tell me you have not been listening to these bounty-hunting scum."

"Scum? We're just here to help them protect what's theirs," Suki snapped.

"Oh, come, come, my dear. How much are they paying you? Ba, ba! It does not matter. Whatever it is, I will double it. And all you have to do to earn it is step aside."

"We don't break deals." The pirates and bounty hunters all readied their weapons, and Rey gripped hers as well.

"Steady, everyone," Obi-Wan said.

"What is your stake, anyway, Kenobi?" Hondo asked.

"All we want is a ride to the nearest Republic outpost. And I'm willing to pay you handsomely for it. Twice what you could make selling this crop."

"Well, now, how do you plan to pay me?"

"A funds transfer when we arrive."

"Republic credit? Tut. We've been over this before, Kenobi. My associates don't accept that currency."

"I'm offering a deal that benefits us all, Hondo. Don't let your greed blind you to that fact."

"You know, I like you, Kenobi. But no one leaves this planet until I get my sillum."

Suki scoffed. "Then I hope you enjoy it here. Because you'll be staying a long time, parasite!"

"You know, this crop has not been harvested. You better hurry, old man, before things start to _die_ on you." With that ominous threat, Hondo and his men left.

"Casiss, is there somewhere you can pull up a map of the area so we can plan your defenses?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Certainly. This way."

The bounty hunters, Jedi, Casiss, and one of the villagers congregated in front of the map. After studying the map, Obi-Wan deduced, "When the attack comes, it will come from two fronts. The forest to the south and the ridge to the north. Whatever you do, you must defend both sides."

The other Felucian immediately argued, "But there are only four of them. How can four bounty hunters defend against so many?"

While Embo, the bounty hunter with a very large hat, defended their abilities, Anakin whispered, "The farmers are right. These bounty hunters don't stand a chance."

"We've been over this, Anakin," Obi-Wan said calmly, like he'd said those words a thousand times before. _Well, he probably has,_ Rey thought.

"You seem to lack confidence in our abilities, young Jedi," Suki said.

"I'm sure you're good at what you do. But you are in way too deep."

"Said the peacekeeper who fails to keep the peace."

"The rift in the galaxy is not our fault," Obi-Wan argued. "If more worlds would stand up for themselves against the Separatists, this war would have been over long ago."

"That's it. We'll just train the villagers to defend themselves," Anakin suggested.

"But we are just simple farmers. Why are we paying bounty hunters to defend us if we're just going to end up doing it ourselves?" the villager argued.

"Hush, Dilani," Casiss chided.

"Trust me. We'll have you ready," Anakin said firmly.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

The next day, while about half of the farmers worked to harvest the sillum, with Suki and Obi-Wan overseeing, the other half reported to Anakin, Rey, and Embo for training, farming tools in hand. "Alright, everyone, form up," Anakin ordered.

The Felucians just scratched their heads in confusion. "I don't think they know what that means," Rey whipered.

"Um, divide into rows of five," Anakin clarified, and they attempted to do as instructed…and failed. Miserably.

"I told you, we are not soldiers. We do not even have weapons," Dilani whined.

Anakin walked over to one of them. "May I?" He took the staff-looking thing (Rey couldn't help but wonder what it was usually used for) and twirled it around, testing its weight and balance. "Yeah. These'll do."

As Anakin attempted to teach them how to use their tools as weapons, they continued to fail. Finally, Dilani said, "The bounty hunter is right. Every minute you waste teaching us to twirl these poles is time you could have spent beating those pirates yourself."

Obi-Wan answered as he walked up, "And what good would that do you? Another band of brigands would come along. Or do you intend to give away part of your crop every harvest season?"

"If you make us do this, there won't be another harvest season." He dropped his staff and stormed off.

"Alright, everyone, get back in position. Let's continue," Anakin said.

Rey huffed. "Oh, let me try, Anakin."

"Are you questioning my teaching abilities?" he asked. "Because if so, remember which of us _has_ a Padawan and which of us _is_ a Padawan."

She sighed. "Low blow, but, no, I'm not. However, you should remember which of us depended on a staff like this to keep her alive."

He nodded. "Fair point." He turned to walk off, but first he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to whisper, "I was teasing, you know."

"Yes, I know," she answered with a smile. As he went to join Obi-Wan in showing the villagers how to follow her commands, she cleared her throat and began, "Now, Anakin's taught you the basic starting position, gripping it with both hands about this far apart and standing like this." She demonstrated both. "Next, you should know how you use the staff. Your main goal should be to knock someone over, and you do that by sweeping down like this or up, towards his head-"

Suki's call interrupted her. "There, a scout! Embo!"

An explosion and several blaster shots followed as Suki and the Jedi went after him. A Weequay pirate dropped dead at his feet. "Quick work," Anakin commented.

"Yes, but when this scout fails to report to Hondo he'll be coming, soon."

With that warning, the bounty hunters and Jedi began fortifying the village. After overseeing the Felucians, Anakin, Embo, and Rey reported to Obi-Wan and Suki. "The farmers are in position," Anakin said.

"Well, the ones who stuck around anyway," Rey muttered.

"Very well, Anakin. Turn on the fence."

Anakin started up the energy lines just in time, as Hondo's men appeared on the horizon. "Battle positions, everyone!" Suki ordered. Weequays approached on speeder bikes, and Embo leaped onto the back of one, disappearing with the others. He returned just before Hondo revealed his secret weapon: a gigantic tank that began blasting through the houses. One of the blasts hit right beside Embo, and he went flying through the air.

"Embo!" Anakin called.

Suki fell down at his side. "Embo, can you hear me? You'll be alright. We'll get you inside."

"Everyone, fall back to the barn!" Obi-Wan called.

"That tank is going to tear the villagers apart."

Anakin and Rey raced off toward the ridge. "Together again, huh?" she asked.

"Looks like it."

They heard him shout gleefully, "Die, Jedi scum!" Simultaneously, they jumped onto the tank, engaging him. This time, he had an electrostaff and used it to push Anakin back a bit. Rey, who had only been using one side of her lightsaber, thought better than that and ignited the other end, swinging it in a wide arc at the pirate. The tank started whirling around crazily, and more large blasts came out of it. "Anakin, you need to get up!" Rey called.

He pulled himself beside her again, blocking Hondo's electrostaff long enough for Rey to drop down into the tank, seeing one of Hondo's crazy lizard pets in control. With a single stab, she killed it (feeling very little remorse as she did so, considering how much the one on Florrum had hindered their escape) and then jumped back out to help Anakin. Hondo was saying, "Your situation is hopeless, Skywalker." He pressed the staff down onto Anakin's lightsaber, but Anakin ducked underneath it just as Rey dove, knocking Hondo's legs out from under him. He flew back, barely grabbing the cliff's edge and holding himself up.

Rey distantly noticed the pirates leaving the village to come to the aid of their leader. "Help me. Skywalker, let me call off my men," he begged. Anakin pulled him up hesitantly, but Hondo grabbed his electrostaff and swept both the Jedi off the cliff and onto the ground below. They landed safely with the help of the Force, and Hondo declared, "This effort is no longer profitable!" Finally, he and his men left.

"Thank the Force. I hope we don't run into him _again_ ," Rey murmured.

"It's a big galaxy. I highly doubt that seeing Hondo Ohnaka will become customary," Obi-Wan answered.

Casiss assembled his people, announcing, "There are crops to harvest, fields to till, huts to rebuild. Now, let's get to work." He turned to the Jedi, Suki, Serapis, and Embo. "How can I ever thank you for saving our village?"

"We didn't save your village, Casiss. Your people did," Anakin reminded him.

"For the first time in my memory, my people don't have to be afraid. We will never forget you." He went to join his people.

"I seem to find myself light on company. Still need that ride back to the Republic outpost?" Suki asked.

"If it wouldn't be any inconvenience," Obi-Wan responded.

"On the contrary, it would be my pleasure," she said.


	23. Back With the Bugs

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 22: Back With the Bugs**

Rey glanced over at the complaining Obi-Wan as they approached the planet of their latest mission. "I cannot believe we're back here again."

"It is unfortunate," Master Mundi answered. "The resistance from the native Geonosians was stronger than we anticipated."

"The same can be said for their loyalty to Count Dooku."

"A fact that is often overlooked."

"You're late," Obi-Wan greeted his former pupil as Anakin walked up.

"Sorry, Master. Ahsoka and I were busy routing the seppies near Dorin."

"My squadron alone had 55 kills," the Togruta bragged.

"Good job, Ahsoka!" Rey encouraged.

"Yeah, but mine had 76," Anakin responded.

"Show-off," his Padawan muttered.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"It's just a little friendly competition, Master. Nothing to worry about," his former Padawan answered.

"What I worry about is the way this war seems to be drawing out with no end in sight."

"Which is why it is crucial our invasion of Geonosis meets with success," Master Mundi added.

"Agreed," said Anakin. "Ahsoka, contact the Outer Rim command. We're ready for our briefing."

"They're already waiting for us," she answered.

They quickly made their way to the briefing room, where Master Windu, Master Unduli, Master Yoda, and Chancellor Palpatine were waiting on holograms. Obi-Wan began, "Our ships are in position, and we are ready to begin our campaign against the Geonosians."

"And what about Poggle? Any report on his location?" Master Windu inquired.

"It seems he's holed up at the primary droid foundry here. The factory is protected by a shield generator. Anakin, Ki-Adi, and I shall attempt a three-pronged attack through their defense lines to a staging area just short of the shield. Once we have landed, we shall knock out the shield generator. That is our primary target."

"Isn't it risky committing three generals to one area of the attack? If something went wrong, we could be dealt a serious blow," Palpatine pointed out.

 _OK, why am I agreeing with him all of a sudden? So…we must be doing the right thing by putting three generals (plus two commanders) in one place, since Palpatine's questioning it,_ Rey realized.

"To ensure that rise again, Geonosis does not, capture Poggle, we must," Master Yoda answered.

"Of course. As always, I shall leave the strategy to you, Master Jedi."

"Our thanks, Chancellor," Obi-Wan replied.

"May the Force be with you," Master Windu said before the hologram of those still on Coruscant winked out (Master Unduli's was still there).

"Good, Cody. These are the coordinates for the rendezvous," Obi-Wan said, pointing at the hologram map.

"Yes, sir," Cody answered before explaining, "When we hit the ground, we'll create a perimeter. Getting past their defenses here will be the trick. General Mundi will come across the defensive lines from the north. We will make our assault through the middle. General Skywalker will make his attack on the defensive lines from the south, and we will meet at the rendezvous point at 0700 exactly."

Master Mundi added, "If we meet with strong resistance and are forced down away from the landing zone, hold out until we join our forces before attacking the shield generator. "

"Their front lines are heavily fortified. Look at that giant wall with all the gun emplacements. That won't be easy to get past," Ahsoka pointed out.

"Don't worry," Anakin said. "We're not going anywhere near that."

"Come now. What happened to all the enthusiasm I saw earlier?" Obi-Wan teased.

"Don't worry about us. You just make sure you get yourself to that landing zone in one piece."

"Rey and I shall be waiting for you when you finally arrive."

"Gentlemen, if you are quite finished," Master Unduli cut in, "we have a battle to begin."

"Quite right. Cody, prep the gunships. I'll meet you in the hangar."

"Yes, sir," he responded. Once they were all gathered in the hangar and loading into the gunships, Obi-Wan asked him if he had been one of the clones who had saved them the first time they were on this planet.

"No, sir, I wasn't involved in the first assault on Geonosis."

"You didn't miss much. Last time, we were chained to poles and attacked by several humongous monsters."

"That sounds…entertaining."

"It was-for the Geonosians."

As they left, Rey muttered, "Never wanted to see this place ever again."

"I know," Obi-Wan responded under his breath.

They quickly descended toward the planet's surface. Cody's voice suddenly echoed from Obi-Wan's comlink. "General Kenobi, don't land. The zone is hot."

"But there's nowhere else to go," he answered. A well-aimed blast shook the gunship. "We're hit. We're going down! Brace yourselves!"

As the ship slammed into the ground, a scream slipped out of Rey's throat unbidden. "Is anyone still here?" she asked.

"I am, but I'm a bit banged up. Are you all right?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes."

"I'm here, too, sir, ma'am," one of the clones (who Rey identified as Trapper) said.

"Are you hurt, Trapper?" Rey asked.

"Not badly, Commander."

"Good."

After several minutes of sitting in the dark, the doors slid open. Obi-Wan sighed in relief. "Waxer, Boil, am I glad to see you. Trapper, Rey, and I are the only ones still alive."

"Good to see you, sir. Commander Cody's established the square just beyond this position. The bugs are on the move and trying to surround us as we speak, sir."

"Then we need to get back. You two, help Obi-Wan and Trapper. I'm mostly all right." Rey ignited her lightsaber. "I'll help cover us."

Between the five of them, somehow they made it back to Cody's position. "Are you injured, General, Commander?"

"No, nothing too serious. What's the situation here?" Obi-Wan inquired as he was lowered to sit behind some crates and the medic checked him over.

"We've got no air cover, two generals on the ground beyond our position, and a mess of bugs surrounding us. The enemy was more than prepared for our attack, sir. They knew our every move."

"I'm sure General Skywalker and General Mundi will make it to our position. We just have to make sure we're still here when they arrive."

"Might be easier said than done," Rey muttered, glancing around. She sighed. "Obi-Wan, can I go help them push the bugs back? I feel a little useless sitting here."

He nodded. "Very well. But be careful."

"I will; don't worry."

She rushed off and found Waxer and Boil. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, igniting both sides of her lightsaber and standing in between and slightly in front of them, twirling her saber to catch any stray blaster bolts that approached them.

"Not at all, Commander," Waxer said.

"In fact," Boil added, "it's quite an honor."

She smirked. "That's nice." A bug came close enough to them for her to slice it in half. However, soon the bugs outnumbered them so badly that they had to drop back. Rey stumbled as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Waxer and Boil were still behind her, and a shot grazed her thigh. She gasped, her hand flying back to cover it. She heard her two companions asking if she was all right, and she snapped, "Yes, yes, just go! Go!" They managed to make it back to the others, who were circling around Obi-Wan and the crates he had been against earlier. Now, he was standing, and his lightsaber was lit. Shots and shouts filled the air, too many to figure out what anyone was saying, but one call was loud enough to discern. "Reinforcements! The reinforcements have arrived!"

Cheers erupted as Y-Wings zoomed over their heads, and Obi-Wan sank to the ground. Cody's voice barking orders echoed behind them as Rey dropped to her Master's side. Ahsoka and Anakin appeared almost out of nowhere. "Master Kenobi," the young Padawan said. "Rey."

"Well, what happened to you?" Anakin asked.

"I might ask you the same question."

After several minutes, the bugs had been driven back enough for a strategy meeting between the five Jedi and the clone officers. "Our combined forces should be enough to destroy the shield generator. Anakin, you'll need to take a small squad through the shield, as close as you can get to their gun emplacements. From there, you'll be able to temporarily jam their scanners so they are unable to target the incoming tanks. Once the tanks knock out the shield, Master Mundi can bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships," Obi-Wan finished.

"Consider it done, Master," Anakin answered, surprisingly compliant for once. They prepared to head out, but Rey hauled herself to her feet and pulled Anakin aside. "Is everything okay?"

"You're the one who can barely walk; I should be asking you that."

"I mean…you didn't argue with Obi-Wan. At all. Normally, you'd put up a bit of a fuss. What's the matter?"

He huffed. "Obi-Wan…he nearly died. I mean, you did, too, but…I…I just can't imagine losing him. He's been the only constant in my life since I left my mother at the age of nine."

Rey placed a hand on his arm (both for comfort and for balance). "Tell him that, would you? He still thinks you're somewhat upset with him over your mother."

He nodded. "I will. For now, you take care of yourself…and of him, okay?"

She grinned. "Don't worry; we'll be fine. You just take care of that generator."

"Will do."

After the battle was finally over, Anakin was giving Obi-Wan a hand in getting to a gunship to get medical attention, and Rey was leaning on Ahsoka, who said, "So, Master, what was your total?"

"Not now, Ahsoka."

"Come on. Are you afraid you lost this time?"

"Fine. 55, that's my count. And you?"

"Sixty. Looks like I won."

"Good job!" Rey congratulated her.

"Yeah, but I called in the air strike. Tie," Anakin quickly bargained.

"You're impossible," Ahsoka replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'll never understand how you can simplify these battles into some kind of game," Obi-Wan muttered.

As Obi-Wan and Rey joined Master Mundi in the gunship, Anakin said, "Take care of yourselves. I expect to see all three of you back here by the time I've destroyed the main factory."

"We shall do our best."

"Just don't get killed while we're gone," Rey added.

"Sixty-five, Skywalker," Master Mundi put in, out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry?" Anakin asked.

"My total. Sixty-five. So what do I win?"

Rey burst into laughter as Anakin blinked. "My everlasting respect, Master Mundi."

"Oh," he responded, as if he'd expected something more.

"That is a gift Anakin rarely bestows, I assure you," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

 _Yes, but I believe you have it, as well,_ Rey couldn't help but think as they took off.


	24. Brain Worms

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 23: Brain Worms**

Rey, sitting cross-legged on the floor of her quarters, was spending the travel time back to Geonosis meditating. Anakin had appeared, and the two of them were chatting. She smiled as she sensed Obi-Wan approaching. "I have to go, Grandpa."

"Yes, but, before you do, you need to remember that you can kill them by rupturing the coolant system."

"What?" she asked, puzzled. "Grandpa, that makes no sense. What can be killed?"

"Just remember that. You'll see soon enough. You just don't need to depend on Anakin to know how to save you and the girls."

"Grandpa-"

"You have to go. Remember, Rey. Rupture the coolant system. Rey. Rey…"

"Rey!" another voice cut in, shaking her out of her meditation.

"Oh…hi, Obi-Wan." She blinked. "Sorry."

"It's fine. But we're here."

She hauled herself to her feet, calling her lightsaber to her hand and attaching it to her belt. "I guess we need to go, then, don't we?"

They flew their gunship down to the surface, landing behind Master Unduli. "A hard-won victory," Obi-Wan observed.

"Indeed," the Mirialan Jedi Master answered. "And a costly one. We suffer a great many losses in these battles. Too many."

"The battles do appear to be coming with growing frequency."

"No sign of Poggle, then?"

"Nothing. We have clone squadrons spread out all over the area but no hits yet."

"I'll go out and find some clue as to where he went."

He began to protest, "I'm sure the clones can handle-"

"Poggle has too much information about the Separatists to let him get away."

"Very well, Master Unduli."

"Just make sure to leave a bit of strategic planning for me when I come back, Master Kenobi. I'd hate to feel left out." She mounted a speeder bike and zoomed off.

Rey couldn't hold a smile back. "I like her. She's got a no-nonsense attitude that we females desperately need in this war being mostly run by men who think we can't really do anything of use." Obi-Wan opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "No, I don't mean you. Or Anakin, for that matter. But you two are the exception, not the rule."

He nodded slowly. "I suppose you're right. Come on; we need to go confer with the others."

Once they were back at the base, Obi-Wan went to find Master Mundi, and Rey split off, looking for Anakin. She snuck up behind him quietly. "Hi."

He jumped, his hand flying to his lightsaber. "Honestly, Rey, do you have nothing better to do than scaring someone in a war zone?"

She chuckled. "Well, I was going to offer to help you watch the desert, you know, since I know how to handle them, too, unlike just about everyone else here?"

He grinned. "Sure, why not?" The two sat down, studying the atmospheric conditions. A few moments later, he indicated a section of his screen. "What's that look like to you?"

She leaned over, needing no more than a glance to answer. "Sandstorm."

He nodded. "It's headed toward Master Luminara. I think they finally made contact with her-I need to go warn her."

She agreed. "Go. I'll keep an eye on this."

A few hours later, Master Luminara still hadn't reported in. "What could be taking her so long?" Anakin asked. "Something must have happened."

Master Mundi sighed. "Patience, Skywalker. It's a delicate operation. I'm sure we'll have more information soon.

"I must admit, I am troubled that we've not heard from her," Obi-Wan put in.

"Let's not start worrying yet. Luminara's not one to take unnecessary risks."

Several minutes later, a transmission came through. "Master Kenobi, we tracked Poggle to the Progate Temple, but now there's no sign of him."

"Go no further until we can send support," he answered. "The storm is making things difficult. We can barely read your transmission as it is."

"Are you sure he went into the temple?" Master Mundi inquired.

"Yes, we saw him enter, but I think he's gone down into the catacombs below," she replied.

"Those catacombs go on for miles. I fear we may have lost him. Get yourself out of there," Obi-Wan instructed, but a scream could be heard on her end, and she whirled, whipping out her lightsaber. "Master Unduli?" he asked, his question growing more insistent as the hologram winked out. "Master Unduli!"

"We've lost the connection," Master Mundi surmised.

Anakin turned, preparing to leave.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"After Luminara, of course."

"We'll never get to her in this storm. The gunships can't handle it," he reminded gently.

"Well, we can't wait!"

"Yes, we can!" Rey snapped. "Anakin, come on! You grew up on a desert planet, just like I did. You know perfectly well that the first rule during a sandstorm is to take care of yourself. You can worry about helping others later, after the storm is over. Anyone who's ever lived in the desert knows that. We have to trust Master Luminara to play it safe and smart until we can find her."

He sighed, nodding to concede the point.

"We'll leave as soon as the storm lifts," Obi-Wan promised.

They were finally able to fly to the Progate Temple a few hours later. "Stay alert, everyone," Obi-Wan ordered as they entered.

"Spread out and look around, men," Anakin added.

Several moments later, Cody called, "General!" All the Jedi rushed to his side. "Buzz is dead."

"Any sign of Luminara?" Anakin asked.

"No, sir."

Obi-Wan glanced at the hole in the floor, partially covered by a stone slab. "There was a struggle." He noticed something else on the ground and walked over. "This is not a good sign. Luminara's lightsaber." He handed it to Anakin.

"Poggle didn't do this," the younger Jedi said. He pointed up suddenly. "But maybe that did."

Cody summarized Rey's feeling very distinctly. "That is one ugly bug."

"I haven't seen one that looks like that before."

"I don't believe anyone has," Obi-Wan observed. "It could be the Geonosian queen."

"The bugs have a queen?"

"Umm. Rumored. But we haven't found any proof of her existence."

"Until now."

"This way." Obi-Wan led them down into the catacombs beneath the temple. Exploring down there was very eerie, with the only light coming from the clones' visors and the Jedi's lightsabers.

Cody's wrist sensors suddenly started beeping. "This leads to a dead end." He turned in a circle, sensing the surrounding passages. "This one goes down the furthest. Sir, I'd say that's our best bet."

"I'll go first," Obi-Wan volunteered.

Out of nowhere, his comm went off. "Master Kenobi." Luminara's voice filled the chamber. "If you're following me, you must leave this place. Just get out. I repeat, fall ba-" Something cut her off.

"She must be close by. Come on."

Rey blinked as they started running. "Anyone else think it's funny that she just said not to do something, and we immediately start doing it?"

"She should expect it from Anakin by now," Obi-Wan answered calmly.

"Hey!"

Any further banter was cut off as they slid to a stop, faced with a group of stumbling, almost drunken, bugs. "I don't like the looks of this," Obi-Wan muttered, as they were surrounded by more bugs.

Rey gripped her lightsaber and stood beside Obi-Wan, the two slicing the first two attackers' arms off. The bugs fell to the ground but got back up. She saw a blaster bolt hit one in the forehead. It simply dropped back before continuing on towards them. "What is going on? What is this?" she asked desperately.

"Back, everyone, back! Take out the tunnel supports. It's the only way!" The clones followed Obi-Wan's orders, and the tunnel collapsed, the Jedi stumbling through last.

"What were those things? We couldn't kill them," Anakin said in shock.

"I've heard stories of a Geonosian hive mind so powerful, so strong, that it can maintain its connection with its warriors even after they have died."

"So these are dead bugs that are walking around and so we can't kill them?" Rey asked.

"That can't be true. That's impossible," Anakin argued.

"Impossible or not, these creatures keep moving after we cut them up or shoot them down." He hesitated before adding, "Call for reinforcements."

A couple of beeps from Anakin wrist com proved the effort to be futile. "There's no signal."

"We must be too deep underground. You two, head back to the surface and contact General Mundi. Tell him we need reinforcements."

"Yes, sir," the clones answered.

Several moments later, screams from behind them made them race back. The bodies of the two men sprawled on the ground greeted them. "Obviously the thing's a lot more powerful than we assumed," Anakin said. "I'm going to the surface to alert General Mundi myself."

"I think that would be a foolhardy move, Anakin. We can't divide our troops again. We don't have time to double back to the surface. Every moment we waste puts Luminara in greater danger," Obi-Wan reminded him.

"He's right, Anakin. We have to make this work on our own," Rey insisted.

He nodded. "Then let's get going."

The wandered deeper into the caverns until Obi-Wan observed, "The air is warmer here. We must be getting close."

"Forget the heat. It smells down here," Anakin answered.

"Keep your voice down."

"I'm just saying, this planet is rotten from the inside out."

"Yes, I do believe I agree," Rey whispered as the three peered into a large, open room, filled with bugs and a bigger, uglier bug. "I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin summed up.

"It must be…the queen," Obi-Wan said in awe.

"Any sign of Luminara?" Anakin asked Cody.

"I see her. She's suspended near the throne."

"Perfect. What about Poggle?"

"He's speaking with the queen."

"Good. You take the soldiers, I'll take the queen."

"Must you always rush into things?" Obi-Wan admonished.

"Oh, no. You don't actually want to talk to it, do you?"

"Matter of fact, I do."

"What?" Rey asked, astonished.

Obi-Wan ignored her. "Anakin, don't you wonder why they took Luminara captive? Why not just kill her?"

"She's leverage," he answered, as though it were obvious. "She's a hostage."

"Leverage for what? No, there's something else going on here, and these zombies are connected to it."

"Fine. We'll try it your way."

"So glad you agree. Cody, set your men up around the perimeter. These creatures live in darkness. The light from your helmet should blind them temporarily. Turn your lamps on at my signal. They should create enough confusion for us to get Luminara out of here."

"But what happens when the bugs pursue?" the commander pointed out. "You've seen them in action, sir. We can't kill them."

"We'll have to bury them," Anakin said. "It'll at least slow them down. Shoot out the support pillars and this whole place will collapse."

"Let's go." The three Jedi started into the room.

"How did you know they wouldn't just attack us?" Anakin asked softly.

"Because I make observations while you think with your lightsaber."

"That quick thinking of mine is usually needed when your observations get us into trouble."

"Anakin, the queen took Luminara hostage. She wanted a Jedi. Now she has three more. I want to know what she's after."

"When this doesn't go as planned, which it won't, I'll be ready."

"So will I," Rey added, gripping her saber.

"That is so reassuring," Obi-Wan answered dryly.

"I thought I told you not to follow me, Master Kenobi," Luminara said when they were close enough.

"Yes, well, I took a lesson from Anakin and decided not to follow orders."

"Hey!"

"You! You are the creatures that attacked Geonosia. Why have you come before me?" the queen screeched out in a rasping voice. Rey couldn't help but wince at it. _Worse than the clicking._

"Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Anakin Skywalker. The young lady is Rey, and it is our sad duty to inform you that your rule is at an end."

"You not dictate to me, Jedi. My Empire is forever." _So…she has a general grasp of Basic, but only a small one._

"I'm afraid it does not appear that way, Your Grace. You shall release the Jedi Luminara and submit to Republic law."

"I no submit to you!"

As bugs surrounded them, Anakin's lightsaber came out. "Patience, Anakin. Wait."

Rey huffed when their sabers were taken away. "For how long?"

Obi-Wan glared at her to silence her. "Majesty, destroying us shall only make the Republic's judgment of you harsher."

"No, Jedi, no! I no destroy you. I devour you. I control you. I had but one Jedi before young Poggle bring me. But now I have three. Now, watch as my child enters your Jedi friend. And once inside, her mind becomes my mind. Her thoughts, my thoughts."

Rey shuddered. "Now that's not at all creepy."

"It's a sort of mind control, a hive mind," Obi-Wan realized. "She thinks she can possess us."

"Great. Find out everything you wanted to know yet?" Anakin snapped.

"No, wait. I want to see how it works."

"I don't think Luminara wants to see how it works."

"No, I don't," she said as they held up the creepy worm to her.

"I'm curious. The more we know, the better."

"I disagree."

"So do I," Anakin added.

"Come now. The nose or the ear, which do you think it will enter?"

Anakin sighed. "I think the nose."

"This is the most ridiculous conversation I've ever heard," Rey muttered as Luminara said, "I hope this is part of the plan." The worm was now curling around her face.

"Isn't it always? Cody, now!" The room flooded with light upon Obi-Wan's command, and the Jedi summoned their lightsabers. Obi-Wan yanked the worm off of Luminara's face, Rey sliced some bugs in half, and Anakin freed Luminara and captured Poggle. They began clearing their path to the door when Anakin noticed the still-squirming worm in Obi-Wan's hand. "Obi-Wan, look out!" He yanked it away and tossed it to the ground, grinding it into the soil amidst Obi-Wan's protests. "Got it."

"What are you doing? I was going to study that."

"Study the bottom of my boot. Come on. Let's get out of here!"

The clones shot out the supports as they began a mad race through the passages. Finally, they reached a tunnel that went straight up. "This is our way out!" Luminara called, pulling herself up one handhold at a time.

"Start climbing," Anakin ordered Cody before following her. Rey went up next, and Obi-Wan and Poggle were last. The dead-alive Geonosians were still underneath them, and debris started falling from the top. "Obi-Wan, look out!" Luminara shouted, as the bugs were buried finally. Soon they were all on the top, and Anakin, amidst coughing, muttered, "All things considered…that went better than I expected."

"I wish we could have gotten one of those worms," Obi-Wan said. "Knowing how the queen controls her minions could have proven valuable."

"Hopefully the secret is buried with her."

"Yeah, I'm really hopeful that it is." Rey stretched. "I could easily do with never dealing with those things again."

 _A/N: So, what was future!Anakin referring to in the beginning? Anyone know?_

 _Also, sorry. I hate this episode. Star Wars should never dip this close to horror. But I figured I oughta cover it. So...yeah._

 _That said, I do love the Anakin-Obi-Wan-Luminara conversation starting with "It's a sort of mind control, a hive mind" and going to "Isn't it always" with the added bonus of "What are you doing? I was going to study that!"_

 _"Study the bottom of my boot!"_

 _Those scenes are great, but I dislike most of this episode and the next one._


	25. Even More Brain Worms

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 24: Even More Brain Worms**

 _ **Announcements!**_

 _ **1\. If you missed last week's chapter because the updates were out, READ THAT FIRST!**_

 _ **2\. As of next week, updates will be moved to FRIDAYS!**_

As Poggle was being loaded onto a ship to transport him to Coruscant for trial, Master Mundi exited it. "I'm afraid we have a complication."

"Don't we always?" Anakin replied good-naturedly.

"I've just received a distress signal from our forces on Dantooine. Master Windu's defenses held, but at a great cost to his men. They need medical supplies immediately. We can obtain these supplies at the medical station near Ord Cestus."

"We're delivering Poggle to Coruscant, and Cestus is not exactly on the way."

"The Republic must begin debriefing Poggle right away if we're to get useful intelligence from him," Luminara added.

"Master, I suggest we let our padawans handle the supply mission." Anakin placed a hand on Barriss's and Ahsoka's shoulders.

"Whatever needs to be done, Master. I'm happy to help," his Padawan answered.

"As am I," Barriss agreed.

"Very well," Obi-Wan said. "Take a medical frigate. And after we've delivered Poggle to Coruscant, we'll rendezvous with you for the voyage to Dantooine." He turned to Rey. "With us or them?"

She hesitated for the briefest of moments. "Them. They could use someone older to keep them on their toes." She tossed a wink at the girls to show that she was (mostly) teasing.

The three of them quickly gathered some men to crew the ship before departing. Once clear of the atmosphere, they contacted Kit Fisto, who was already at the medical station. Barriss told him, "We are ready to make our jump, Master Fisto."

"Good. I look forward to your arrival," the smiling Nautolan replied.

After several hours of travel, the girls were laying in their bunks, trying to sleep. Finally, Barriss asked, "What? What is it?"

"It's too quiet. It's a big change from all the fighting the last few days."

"You should enjoy this peace while it lasts."

"I can't. Let's go eat."

Rey smiled. "I can't sleep either. Let's go."

The three of them made their way to the mess hall, where they grabbed trays and sat down, Rey savoring the flavors that were very different than the portions she had subsisted on for years. Ahsoka broke the silence by saying, "I was just thinking about what you said earlier about enjoying the peace while it lasts. As a Jedi, I'm not sure I know how to do that."

"Master Windu has said we are keepers of the peace, not warriors. However, once the war is over, it will be our job to maintain the peace," Barriss answered.

"Yes, but will we do so as keepers of the peace or warriors? And what's the difference?"

"I don't have all the answers, Ahsoka. Like you, I'm a learner."

"And don't look at me. Remember, I'm just here to pick up what I can so I don't turn evil and kill everyone," Rey added.

"What does your Master tell you?"

"Anakin? Oh, um, you might find some of his thoughts on the future, uh, a bit radical," Ahsoka said hesitantly.

"Really? Why?"

"Let's just say my Master will always do what needs to be done. I'm not even sure how peacetime will agree with him."

Rey, who had briefly spoken to Anakin on the subject, spoke up, "Oh, I think it'll agree with him just fine."

The door behind them slid open, and two troopers walked in. Ahsoka said, "Evening, Ox, Edge. Would you like to join us?" When they said nothing but continued to stare strangely at the girls, she added questioningly, "Is something wrong, troopers?"

Suddenly, the clones opened fire, and the three whipped out their lightsabers, deflecting the shots. Ahsoka leaped onto the table and pulled it back to shield them. "Troopers, stand down!" At last, they managed to incapacitate the men, just before two more rushed in. Three blades immediately stopped them in their tracks, and their leader (Trap, Rey thought was his name) asked, "What are you doing?"

"Two clones just attacked us. What is going on?" Ahsoka demanded.

"Trap, do you know what happened to those troopers?" Barriss added.

"Couldn't tell you, Commander," he answered. "I'm just as confused as-"

"You're in charge of those men. Did you order them to kill us?"

"No, sir. I did not."

"What's happening? Why would they do this?" Ahsoka pressed.

"We don't know. We heard shots," the other answered.

"Why should we believe you?" Barriss asked again.

"Look, no guns," Trap said, laying his on the ground. His companion followed suit. The Jedi retracted their blades.

"These men wouldn't just attack us without reason."

"My Master had a clone betray them once, a traitor who was paid off by Ventress," Ahsoka suggested.

"It can't be that simple. At least, it didn't feel like that."

"Excuse me, sir," Trap interjected. "We should make sure that we're still in control of the bridge."

"Bridge, this is Barriss. Respond."

After only static came back, Ahsoka insisted, "We need to get up there. We need to find out what's going on."

"But these two will be coming around any minute."

"Havoc can watch them until we check on the bridge," Trap suggested.

"Okay, let's go," Ahsoka agreed, leading the way. They made their way through the corridors and were almost there when security shields sprang up. "Someone doesn't want us going up there," the Togruta summarized.

"I'll attempt to override the controls." Barriss knelt beside the panel, but just as she was removing the covering, Trap's blaster went off. Rey shrieked and ignited her saber, slicing his blaster in half, while Barriss's stabbed him in the stomach.

Something very familiar then almost jumped out of his mouth onto the Mirilan. "He's infected! Get this thing off me!"

Rey groaned as she and Ahsoka cut it in thirds. "Ugh, what is that?" the younger padawan muttered.

"Looks like some type of parasite. It must be controlling their actions," Barriss guessed.

"Yes, it's a brain worm or something. We encountered them in the catacombs. I was _hoping_ to never run into them again," Rey said.

"Well, that would explain a lot," Ahsoka pointed out. "How did these things get on board in the first place?"

"They must have infected the clones while they were on Geonosis," Barriss suggested.

"We'll have to quarantine the ship."

"We should also contact Master Fisto and let him know about the situation."

Rey nodded. "Both wonderful ideas. Now, we need to hurry!"

As they rushed through the ship, they heard something. "That sound, it's-" Barriss was too horrified to finish, so Ahsoka did. "Geonosian."

They darted forward, peering into the room. Several clones were holding another down, bringing a worm closer and closer to his face. "We have to help him!" Ahsoka whispered.

"It's too late," Barriss answered somberly. Indeed, the worm had already taken the poor man's mind. As Rey tried to work out what to do, her thoughts were interrupted by a blaster shot coming toward them. They stumbled into the room where the clones were, blocking the single hostile into the hall while facing several more. "That…might not have been the best plan," Rey realized, as the door opened behind them and the one in the hall entered the room. Ahsoka faced him, placing herself at the backs of the other two, who were deflecting the shots from the others.

They slid behind a crate, catching their breath for a moment. "Let's go for the vent," Ahsoka suggested.

They used the Force to jump to the higher platforms, finally slipping into the ventilation system. They crawled on their hands and knees until they could kneel beside each other. "Rey and I'll go to the reactor room and disable the thrusters. Ahsoka, you head for the aft comm-center and send a warning to Master Fisto. We have to stop the ship from reaching the medical station," Barriss said firmly.

"I don't know, Barriss. I think we should stay together."

"As do I. Unfortunately, that's not a luxury we have right now. One of us must succeed, Ahsoka. If you need to, you'll do what must be done. I know it."

Rey shook her head. "No. We have to stay together." Suddenly, she remembered something. "That's it!" she whisper-shouted.

"What?" Barriss asked.

"We need to rupture the coolant system. These things can't survive the cold."

"How do you know that?"

"I…I must have heard about it before I crossed paths with the Jedi. Still, it makes sense. They're from a desert, so they shouldn't be prepared for cold, right?"

"Right…" Ahsoka agreed.

"So what are we going to do? Stick together or separate?" Barriss asked.

"Together. We have a better chance of destroying the coolant system together. Then, there might be no need to contact Master Fisto."

The three young Jedi dropped out of the vents and ran to the room that controlled the ship's temperature. They pressed buttons and turned dials that would drop the temperature into the subzero realms, with Rey shivering internally at how cold that would be. "Now, to the bridge," she said. "Hopefully we'll be able to control our approach to the medical station."

Once they were on the bridge, Rey dropped into the pilot's chair. "Wh-who has m-more exp-perience f-flying?" she asked around chattering teeth.

"A-A-Ahsoka," Barriss answered.

"T-Then, y-you c-contac-ct M-Master F-Fisto and l-let him know wh-what's g-going on. S-snips, h-h-help-p m-me."

They did as she asked. Master Fisto sent ships to escort them in and aid the nearly frozen girls in docking the ship. Rey passed out before anyone boarded.

She woke up with a groan, opening her eyes. "Oh, heat. Blessed heat…never thought I'd say _that,_ "

She heard a very familiar chuckle. "I'm sure you didn't." Hands guided her to a sitting position.

"Obi-Wan."

"Are you all right, little one?"

"Yes, but 'm not little!"

"My apologies, but I got so used to calling Anakin that (to tease him, since he wasn't fond of it) that I suppose it's merely habit to call my padawans that."

She smiled. "Everything turned out all right then?"

"Yes. All the worms are dead. That was a neat trick with the coolant system."

"Thanks. I must have heard that before I met up with the Jedi; it just came back to me in the heat of the moment."

"That's a relief."

"Indeed it was." She sighed in contentment. "Indeed it was."

 _A/N: So, any idea why future!Anakin told her to fix that?_


	26. Grievous Again

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 25: Grievous Again**

Rey and Obi-Wan were practicing their Force-abilities when a padawan rushed in and told them that Obi-Wan was needed by the Council to view a holomessage from General Grievous. The two exchanged a glance before rushing to the room where Yoda, Adi Gallia, Mace Windu, and Anakin waited with holograms of Ki-Adi Mundi, Luminara Unduli, Kit Fisto, and Plo Koon. "Obi-Wan," Mace greeted with an undercurrent of tension in his voice.

"What's this about, Mace?" he asked.

"We haven't watched the message yet."

Rey bit her lip. "May I stay, Master Windu, or is this a matter for Knights only?"

He actually gave her a small smile. "Thank you for asking, and, yes, you may stay." At that, they began the recording. The cyborg general began, "Greetings, Jedi, it would seem, once again, one of your order has lost his way and even better, a leading member of your Jedi Council." He indicated the limp and groaning Master Eeth Koth, gripped in one metal fist. "Listen to me, Jedi, I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic. I only live to see you die." A magnaguard entered the frame, striking Master Koth in the back. "But death will not come so easily for Master Koth. I will make him suffer endlessly because I know that is more painful for you all."

Master Yoda turned toward Ahsoka and Barriss, who had walked through the room with a group of initiates. "Away with the younglings. Much there is to discuss."

"It's time somebody finally put an end to that monster," Anakin growled.

"On that, agreed we are. How to find him, the question remains."

"After engaging Grievous, we lost contact with Master Koth. He could be anywhere," Obi-Wan said.

Master Plo cut in, "Commander Wolffe has found a message in the holo transmission. Play back the message."

"Look. Hand signals," Anakin exclaimed. Rey looked closer, and, sure enough, Master Koth's hands were obviously tapping out a pattern of some kind.

Obi-Wan's brows furrowed in concentration. "I admit my skills are rusty, but Saleucami system, sector J-19. Zero-eight, zero-five, two-nine."

"Saleucami? But intelligence reported Grievous has no ships near that sector," Master Gallia argued.

"But so often inaccurate our intelligence is," Master Yoda reminded them.

"I shall go," Obi-Wan volunteered.

"So will I," Anakin added.

"And I," said Master Gallia.

Rey raised her eyebrows. "Since Master Kenobi is going, I'll assume it's understood that I am, too?"

They departed within the hour.

Just before they jumped into hyperspace, Obi-Wan and Rey in the main attack ship contacted Anakin and Master Gallia in another nearby ship. "Are you ready?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ready and waiting," was Anakin's cocky reply.

"I shall engage the Separatist fleet and send you the coordinates of Grievous' command ship."

"Just make sure you get it right."

"I always do."

"How do you plan on getting Grievous aboard your ship?" Master Gallia asked.

"Not to worry. The good General and I have a history. I'm sure he'll want to even the score face-to-face."

"Meanwhile, we'll jump in undetected and board the command ship," Anakin continued.

Master Gallia added confidently, "If Master Koth is still alive, we will find him."

"Hopefully, by the end of this mission, we will have saved Master Koth and captured General Grievous," Obi-Wan said before he cut the transmission.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Soon enough, they had exited hyperspace, and Obi-Wan gave the order to hail the looming Separatist ship. Once the transmission had gone through, he said, "General, I knew one day I'd catch up to you."

"Kenobi! What a surprise. I assume you are here to bring me to justice," Grievous responded mockingly.

"You know me too well."

"Indeed, I do."

Not two minutes later, the storm of fire approaching the Republic craft prompted Obi-Wan to wryly comment, "We certainly have his attention. Admiral Yularen, keep Grievous' fleet occupied so Anakin's arrival is undetected."

"Yes, General," he responded. "Commence attack. All ships fire at will."

"Commander Cody, do you have the exact coordinates of the command ship yet?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We're patching them through now, sir."

The ship shook, and Cody relayed the cause, "Tractor beam has us, sir. Shall we fire on the source?"

"No, Cody. Let them think they have us. We need a diversion for Anakin."

Rey huffed. "Remind me again why _we_ get to be the diversion?"

As Obi-Wan, Rey, and three troops walked to meet the inevitable boarding party, Obi-Wan gave some last minute instructions. "Remember, we need to keep Grievous on this ship until General Skywalker is clear."

Several more clones stood near the doorway where they knew Grievous would come in. Sure enough, four lightsaber blades pierced it simultaneously, cutting a hole and flinging the metal inward. A group of commando droids entered, followed by two magnaguards and Grievous himself. "Kenobi," the latter greeted. The cyborg and his guards began pushing the two Jedi back. They stumbled into a room behind them, and Grievous continued his taunting, "So, Kenobi, is everything going as planned?"

"That depends on your point of view, General," Obi-Wan snapped. He and Rey quickly engaged the magnaguards and dispatched them.

"You wouldn't come here without a plan, and you wouldn't come alone. Tell me, do you think Skywalker has rescued Master Koth yet?" the Separatist general asked.

Both their mouths dropped open. "Well, that's just perfect," Rey muttered.

Then Grievous finally engaged them. With two lightsabers on two, the fight seemed rather even, so Rey ignited the other side of her saber, swinging it down toward Grievous's legs, trying to knock him over. "Your plans have come to ruination, Jedi."

"I hear a lot of talking, General, but in the final accounting, what does all the talk get you? A futile quest for power, a mutilated body, and your place as Dooku's errand boy," Obi-Wan snapped.

"Yes, quite a wonderful package," Rey added.

"I'm no errand boy," Grievous growled. "I am not in this war for Dooku's politics. I am the leader of the most powerful droid army the galaxy has ever seen."

"An army with no loyalty, no spirit, just programming. Why do you need to show all your power? What have you to gain?" Obi-Wan yelled.

"The future, a future where there are no Jedi!" He withdrew two more lightsabers, and Obi-Wan summoned one of the magnaguards' electrostaffs into his hand. Unfortunately, Grievous managed to cut it in half. With the swipe of his right foot and lower right hand, both Jedi went sprawling. "The story of Obi-Wan Kenobi ends here."

They raised their lightsabers simultaneously, flipping backward onto their feet. A slice of Rey's lightsaber drove the cyborg off.

"Your friends shall die, Kenobi, and you shall soon follow."

The flurry of blades continued, and Obi-Wan flung one of the magnaguards at Grievous, flinging him into the pilot's seat, and both of the Jedi stuck their blades into his face. "Surrender, General."

"Never!" He leaped over them, scrabbling away on six legs like an insect.

Obi-Wan activated his wrist comm. "Anakin, I hope you've rescued Master Koth, because Grievous is headed back to his ship." They ran through the halls, chasing their adversary, and met a group of clones. "Get back to the bridge," he ordered. "We need to detach before Grievous jumps ship." He lifted his comm again, this time contacting the commander of the 212th. "Cody, come in."

"Yes, sir."

"Grievous is heading your way."

They ran toward Cody's position, where they managed to intercept Grievous again. The ship tilted again, and the power flickered, red light filling the chamber. They engaged him, but he threw the two to the ground, escaping onto his own ship, tossing over his shoulder, "Until we meet again, Kenobi." However, from behind him, Master Gallia leaped toward him, her blade catching his two. Rey sighed in relief as she got her footing. Just as they stood, however, the ship lurched one last time, and it disconnected from Grievous's. They were violently yanked off their feet and pulled toward space. Cody, who had the best grip, managed to get a hold of Obi-Wan, who grabbed Rey. A rope from Master Gallia fell beside them, and they all grabbed it and began climbing up. Once they were safely inside, Master Gallia closed the blast doors, and the vacuum of space finally disappeared. "Hurry. We can still catch him," Obi-Wan said, preparing to rush after him.

"Obi-Wan, Anakin's leaving. We'll be trapped on the ship," Master Gallia reminded him.

"She's right. We have to go."

He sighed and activated his wrist comm (again). "Anakin, come in. We're in a bit of a spot, and we need a way off of Grievous' ship."

"There's a large hangar near your position," he answered. "Make your way there, and I'll pick you up."

They quickly ran in that direction. The hangar was empty when they entered, but Anakin soon arrived, and they scurried onto the ship. "Here we go," he announced, burning debris flying around them.

After several minutes, once they were closer to safety, Obi-Wan said, "Anakin, get me Admiral Yularen."

"Several craft detached from Grievous' ship and attempted to land on Saleucami."

"Then we'll have to land and follow them. Prepare the tanks."

"Yes, sir."

"There must be several landing sites. It may be hard to locate the good General," Anakin put in bitterly.

"You'll have to command the space battle while Rex, Cody, and I head to the surface," Obi-Wan answered. "Rey can stay with you, if she wants. I know she's been itching to fly lately."

She grinned broadly. "Thanks."

"You sure you can handle this on your own?" Anakin asked.

"I think I can manage."

"I'll get Master Koth to a medical frigate," Master Gallia said once they were safely in the Republic cruiser.

"You all took a great risk rescuing me," the Zabrak Jedi added.

"You're welcome, Master Koth," Obi-Wan answered with a smile.

"Since you divided your forces, Grievous is still at large. I would have gladly given my life if it meant bringing that monster to justice!"

"Well, at least we all lived to fight another day," Anakin replied.


	27. Duchess Satine

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 _ **WARNING: This chapter contains a suicide by a minor character and a brief discussion of that event by major ones.**_

 _ **If you want to skip it, go from the bolded line to the first line break, meaning the**_ _ ***O*W*S***_

 _ **Also skip the first portion of the AN at the bottom.**_

 **Chapter 26: Duchess Satine**

Rey glanced around as she and Obi-Wan stepped out of their starfighters. A Mandalorian greeted them. "The duchess awaits you and your padawan, General Kenobi."

"Far be it for me to keep the duchess waiting," he remarked dryly as they stepped onto the odd-looking speeder and were escorted to the palace to meet the duchess of Mandalore. They were there to investigate rumors that she might be forming an alliance with the Separatists, despite leading the Council of Neutral Systems (Obi-Wan had been strangely offended by this insinuation; Rey was determined to find out why).

"General Kenobi." Prime Minister Almec approached them once they had entered the palace.

Obi-Wan extended his hand. "Thank you for meeting with me, Prime Minister Almec."

"I welcome you as a servant of the people, but I am troubled by the false rumors that brought you here. Mandalore would never turn against the Republic. The duchess Satine values peace more than her own life."

"Oh, I'm aware of the Duchess' views."

"Master Kenobi, Mandalore's violent past is behind us. All of our warriors were exiled to our moon, Concordia. They died out years ago."

"Hmm. Are you certain? I recently encountered a man who wore Mandalorian armor, Jango Fett."

"Jango Fett was a common Bounty hunter. How he acquired that armor is beyond me."

A new voice-this one female-cut in on the conversation. "Well, Master Kenobi, my shining Jedi knight to the rescue once again." The blonde-haired woman Rey guessed to be the duchess took her seat on the-throne? _Do you call it that if she isn't royalty?_

Obi-Wan smiled. "After all these years, you're even more beautiful than ever."

 _Wait, what? Obi-Wan, flirting? No way…it can't be._

"Kind words from a man who accuses me of treachery," the duchess flung back.

"I would never accuse you of personal wrongdoing, duchess. However, a Separatist saboteur attacked one of our Republic cruisers, a Mandalorian saboteur," Obi-Wan explained, showing her a hologram of the man.

"You must be mistaken," Almec snapped. "No Mandalorian would engage in such violence. Not anymore. Where is this prisoner now?"

"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning. I know these commandos fought in many wars, often against the Jedi."

"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am," the duchess snapped.

A man beside her (Rey really didn't like the look of him) said, "I know we sound defensive, but-"

The duchess interrupted. "Clearly your investigation was ordered because the senate is eager to intervene in our affairs."

Obi-Wan calmly replied, "My investigation was ordered by the Jedi council."

She paused. "I stand corrected. General Kenobi, perhaps you'd like to join me on a walk through the city."

As they walked, Obi-Wan gave Rey a look, and she backed up to give him and the duchess some privacy, though she was still close enough to hear her say, "It's so good to see you again, Obi-wan, despite the circumstances."

Rey's ears perked up. _This seems interesting…_

"Your peaceful ways have paid off," Obi-Wan answered. "Mandalore has prospered since the last time I was here."

"Not everyone on Mandalore believes that our commitment to peace is a sign of progress. There is a group that calls itself Death Watch. I imagine these are the renegades you're looking for. They idolize violence and the warrior ways of the past. There are those among us, certain officials who are working to root out these criminals. It has been an ongoing investigation."

Rey could tell Obi-Wan was filing that information away. "How widespread is this Death watch movement?"

"It's hardly a movement. It's a small group of hooligans who choose to vandalize public places, nothing more. We shall soon have them in custody. We have tracked them down to our moon, Concordia."

"I hope you're right, duchess."

After that, they started what seemed to Rey to be an old debate between the two. Obi-Wan pointed out, "A peacekeeper belongs on the front lines of conflict. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to do his job."

"The work of a peacekeeper is to make sure that conflict does not arise."

"Yes, a noble description, but not a realistic one."

"Is reality what makes a Jedi abandon his ideals? Or is it simply a response to political convenience?"

Before Obi-Wan could answer, an explosion shook the ground. He stepped in front of the duchess to protect her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Rey rushed to their sides, her lightsaber in her hand but not ignited. "Any idea what happened?"

The duchess ran to the side of one of the people on the ground, the Jedi following. "Hooligans couldn't have arranged an attack of this scale," Obi-Wan said.

"Then this must be the work of an off-worlder," Satine answered promptly.

"Are you sure of that?" he asked, staring at a hologram shimmering in the rubble.

"The sign of the Death Watch."

" **This goes far beyond vandalism. This is a political statement against your government and against you. You're not safe here. I'm taking you back to the palace."** He helped her to her feet before turning to those standing around. "I want to interview everyone here. Nobody leaves this scene." He glanced back at Rey, seeming to remember she was there for the first time. "My padawan can begin that so you people can go home soon-"

"Master!" she interrupted, pointing a man fleeing.

They chased him through a building onto a balcony, with Obi-Wan quickly telling him, "I only want to talk."

He whipped out a blaster and started shooting at them. Both lightsabers hummed to life as they reflected the bolts. "So much for that idea," Rey muttered. "'We're going to Mandalore, Rey,' he said. 'It'll be a nice break,' he said. 'It's neutral and pacifist,' he said. 'No one will be shooting at us,' he said."

"Not the time, Rey!" Obi-Wan snapped as the blaster flew out of the man's hand. He jumped onto Obi-Wan but was thrown off and landed face down. "I don't want to hurt you." Obi-Wan was trying to stay calm, Rey knew. Satine appeared in the doorway, but he called, "Stay back!"

The bomber-because he had to be, right? Why else would he have run?-used this distraction to hurry over to the railing of the balcony, stand on it, call sometime in the Mandalorian tongue (Rey could have figured it out, but she was thinking about other things), and throw himself over the side. Rey gasped, shocked. Obi-Wan and Satine were already making their way back through the building to the ground by the time she shook herself and caught up. "He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon," the duchess was saying.

"I should like to visit this moon of yours," Obi-Wan mused. "Perhaps I could accompany the body."

"The Concordian moon is a province with its own governor. You'll need me to escort you."

"That won't be necessary."

"Actually, it will. You won't make much progress without me there, especially since you've just been involved with the death of a Concordian."

"I didn't kill him."

"I know. That's why I'm still talking to you."

Rey managed to crack a small smile at the duchess's attitude as they turned to go back to the palace briefly. Obi-Wan laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"I suppose." She sighed. "I'm no stranger to death. I watched many people die on Jakku growing up, a mentor of mine-my uncle, actually-was killed soon before I came here, and now I'm fighting in a war. I've just…never seen anyone die like that. Not by his own hand, I mean. It's heartbreaking."

He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Don't ever lose that, Rey. It's what makes you human."

"I didn't think Jedi were supposed to feel this way."

"Maybe we're not, but if we never mourn over death-especially not one born of despair like that-are we any better than our enemies? I daresay we aren't."

Rey nodded, pondering that as they returned.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

As they approached the moon, Obi-Wan said, "I thought Concordia was an agricultural settlement."

"Before the end of our wars, they turned it into a mining base. The sheer number of mining facilities here nearly destroyed our forests. They're finally growing back."

Upon landing, they were met by a blond man. "Duchess Satine, you are most welcome."

"Thank you, Governor Vizsla. May I present Master Obi-wan Kenobi, representing the Jedi Council and his padawan Rey. Governor Vizsla is one of the officials I spoke of. He has been working to find the members of the Death Watch."

He turned to the Jedi (but mostly Obi-Wan). "I take it you've heard the rumors about Satine, about how she's supposedly leading Mandalore into an alliance with the separatists."

"Our only instructions are to seek the truth."

His attention was drawn to the coffin. "This was the man who bombed the memorial shrine?"

"Yes. He was apparently part of Death Watch."

"A worrisome prospect. If you'll pardon me, General, we must attend to the body."

After he and his guards had walked away, Obi-Wan laid a hand on Satine's arm. "I need a favor from you. Please keep Governor Vizsla occupied at dinner."

"Where are you going?"

"I'd like to see one of these mining facilities for myself."

"You mean you want to determine if they're still operational."

"I hope to determine they're not. I want you two to wear these earpieces so that we can stay in contact, in case you run into trouble while I'm gone."

"So I'm staying?" Rey asked.

"Yes. Protect the duchess."

The duchess in question rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself. Remember that you are here under my protection. Please try not to cause problems where none yet exist."

"Think of me as searching for solutions."

"I have to tell you I'm opposed to all of this."

"I'd be disappointed if you weren't."

Rey chuckled.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

The girls, after freshening up, made their way to the room where Vizla was waiting for them. "Forgive me, duchess, padawan," he said when they entered. "I'm writing a condolence letter to the dead man's family and making arrangements for them to retrieve his body."

"Of course, governor. Very proper. General Kenobi will join us shortly. He said he needed to meditate."

Soon enough, they began dinner, with Satine speaking of the political situation. "Someone is feeding misinformation directly to the Republic Senate, saying that the Death Watch is taking over Mandalore. Who stands to gain from these lies?"

"Death Watch, of course," Vizla answered.

Rey tried to keep her confusion off her face. Something felt off about Vizla through the Force.

"They could not engineer all this," Satine argued. "The problem has clearly grown much larger than we thought. And I suspect some external force helped it along."

"Hard to believe. It would have to be someone at the highest level of influence among the Separatists."

"But why target me?"

"You lead the Council of Neutral Systems. Thus, you threaten the Separatists' goals. Take it as a compliment. Someone very powerful is working towards your downfall."

Rey raised her eyebrows at that. "I don't know if it's quite that much of a good thing, Governor."

After several minutes of small talk, the governor commented, "General Kenobi's meditation is taking a rather long time."

"You know the Jedi," Satine answered. "They never do anything by halves."

"Yes, especially not Obi-Wan," Rey agreed.

"Duchess, Rey, please acknowledge," Obi-Wan's voice echoed through their earpieces.

"May I offer you another drink?" Vizla asked.

"Yes, certainly," Satine replied to both.

"I'm in a bit of an awkward spot," Obi-Wan said. "I'm being held by the Death watch."

"Sorry, duchess," Vizla said. "We're out of ice."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Perhaps we should begin dinner without General Kenobi," Vizla suggested.

"There's a tracking function on your comlink. Follow it due east to my location."

"I don't know if I can do that at the moment."

"It's extremely urgent."

"Are you not feeling well, duchess?"

Rey's head was starting to spin from the two synonymous conversations.

"Perhaps some fresh air would do me good," Satine said.

"Shall I escort you outside?"

"Take a speeder. It's rough terrain."

"I'll go with her, governor," Rey followed her out. They then rushed toward the speeders and left the hangar.

Once they had arrived, Satine contacted Obi-Wan. "Where exactly are you?"

"Listen for the loud metallic clanging sound. That would be the machine about to smash me into bits."

"That…is not good," Rey muttered.

"I tend to agree," he said.

Satine activated an alarm, and the two girls rushed into the compound. "Well, it certainly took you long enough," Obi-Wan snapped once they had found him.

"You know, we haven't saved you yet," the duchess answered as they both leaned over the controls, trying to figure them out.

"Yes, no need to remind me of that."

"Be patient."

"I happen to be a bit short on patience right now."

"Now, let's see," Satine murmured. "One of these."

"Rey, Satine, turn the machine off!"

"We're trying."

"Satine!"

Rey leaned past the duchess and slammed the button that looked like it would at least stop the two halves from crushing him. Satine was already running down toward him. Two Mandalorians suddenly jumped her before Rey could make it down the ladder. Just as Obi-Wan was about to be deposited on top of spinning gears that probably would have killed him, the duchess kicked a barrel into them, and he performed a handspring off of it, flinging himself onto the man holding her. Rey dispatched the other one with a couple of strokes of her lightsaber, throwing it to Obi-Wan so he could finish his man. He returned it as they joined Satine in the elevator. "For a man sworn to peace, you take an unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others," she muttered.

"For a woman sworn to nonviolence, you don't seem troubled that I could have been killed back there."

"But you weren't. And yet I still haven't heard any thanks."

"Well, you certainly haven't changed much." The doors swung open, and Obi-Wan stated the obvious as a guard advanced on them. "This is not the way we came in."

He tried to reactivate the elevator as men from across a chasm started shooting at them. It didn't work. Rey reflected the blasts as the other two took cover. Obi-Wan sighed. "We'll have to stand and fight. Or, in your case, just stand."

Three Mandalorians flew toward them with their jetpacks. Rey's jaw dropped. "I want one of those," she murmured as she continued to fight.

Obi-Wan must have summoned a blaster, because he started shooting from behind her. The three quickly were dispatched, but one more slammed into Obi-Wan. Rey whirled around, stabbing at him but missing.

"You there!" she heard Satine call, just as a rock smacked his helmet. Rey smirked, taking care of him.

"Satine!" Obi-Wan ran back to her.

"I'm all right."

Rey heard ships taking off overhead and footsteps. She looked up to see four Mandalorians approaching. The leader removed his helmet. "Governor?" Satine gasped.

"For generations my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against the Jedi. Now that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian. Defend her if you will." He threw Obi-Wan's lightsaber to him before…igniting one of his own? This one was black, though, like none that Rey had ever seen. He continued, "This lightsaber was stolen from your Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Since then, many Jedi have died upon its blade. Prepare yourselves to join them."

He lunged at Obi-Wan, so Rey turned her attention to the men beside him. Their blasters sang as her blade drove their bolts back toward them. Two fell easily from the reflections, but then Vizla fell beside the last one. "Warriors, finish him!" he called before realizing two were dead. However, he and his last man shot rockets toward them. "Satine," Obi-Wan said, grabbing her as the three threw themselves down the elevator shaft, an explosion billowing behind them. Rey couldn't help but notice how he shielded her with his body.

As they made their way back to their speeders, Satine said, "I suppose we're even now.

"How so?"

"I saved your life. You saved mine."

"Yes, well, mine was the more daring of the two rescues."

Rey grinned. "You two are fun to watch."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

As Rey, Obi-Wan, Satine, and other government officials went to meet a Republic transport, Senator Tal Merrick (the man Rey hadn't liked the look of-and indeed still didn't) said, "But if Pre Vizsla fled, we have no way of learning how widespread Death Watch really is."

"It's obvious the Separatists are supporting the Death Watch," Obi-Wan put in.

"I disagree," Satine said. "I told you I wanted to stay out of this conflict."

"Given the current situation, I'm afraid that may no longer be possible."

"I thought you of all people would understand my position on this matter. I will never be a part of this war."

The Mandalorians boarded the ship as a familiar group of people approached. "Reporting for escort duty, General," Anakin said playfully.

"Oh, Anakin. Am I glad to see you."

"Hmm. You sound tired."

"The peaceful ways of the locals wore me out a bit."

Rey nearly hacked up a lung. "I'm sorry, what? If you're tired because of anything, it must be from arguing with Satine!"

They all joined the Mandalorians on the ship, ready to go back home.

 _A/N: So…I wasn't really going to have that serious part, but I thought that someone should address this. (Also, whose idea was it to put this in a kid's show? Just sayin'.) That being said, suicide is a very serious matter. If you struggle with this, please seek professional help._

 _Sorry about the…like, month it's been since I updated. My laptop broke and was in the shop for weeks. Sorry._


	28. The Duchess and the Jedi

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 27: The Duchess and the Jedi**

As the ship flew to Coruscant, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Rey gathered to give the men some final instructions. "You know your marching orders," Obi-Wan began. "The safety of the duchess Satine is of the utmost importance. The Death Watch will stop at nothing to assassinate her before she pleads her case to the Senate."

"The Death Watch may be backed by the Separatists," Anakin added, "so stay sharp. Artoo? Use your scanners to probe for any suspicious droid activity."

The astromech beeped an acknowledgement as Rex asked, "Anything else, sir?"

"No, that will be all," Obi-Wan replied. While the men dispersed, his comlink beeped. "Yes?"

"The duchess and her retinue request your presence."

"Very well." The three Jedi, plus Rex, entered the lift and began ascending.

"I sense some anxiety from you about the duchess. She couldn't be in safer hands," Anakin reminded Obi-Wan.

"Yes, I know."

"Then why-"

"Never mind. It's all in the past."

"Oh, so you're close to her?"

"I knew her. A long time ago."

"Seemed pretty close to me," Rey muttered, garnering a glare from Obi-Wan.

They arrived on the correct level. Rex went a different direction as the Jedi followed the sound of the duchess's voice. "As the designated regent of 1,500 systems, I speak for thousands of worlds that have urged me to allow them to stay neutral in this war."

"And yet some might argue that the strongest defense is a swift and decisive offense," Obi-Wan said as he entered the room.

Rey grinned and leaned over to Anakin. "Watch this."

"You are quite the general now, aren't you, Master Kenobi?" the duchess said.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect."

"Really? Senators, I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Rey and Anakin had simultaneous coughing fits as he answered, "Your Highness is too kind."

"You're right. I am."

"Allow me to introduce my fellow Jedi Anakin Skywalker."

He controlled himself and stepped forward. "Your servant, my lady."

"I remember a time when Jedi were not generals, but peacekeepers."

"We are protectors, Highness-yours, at the moment. We fight for peace."

"What an amusing contradiction."

Obi-Wan jumped in. "What Master Skywalker means is that we are acting at the behest of your highness to protect you from the Death Watch and the Separatists who don't share your neutral point of view."

"I asked for no such thing."

"That may be so, but a majority of your court did."

"I do not remember you as one to hide behind excuses."

"I do not remember you as one to shrink from responsibilities."

The (very, very heavy) Twi'lek Senator cut in, "I am certain we all agree that Duchess Satine and General Kenobi have a proven there are two sides to every dilemma."

"Indeed," Merrick (who Rey _still_ had a strange feeling about) chimed in.

"Now, in regard to the senate vote, we think-"

Satine interrupted, "I think a multitude makes discord, not good counsel."

"Right again, my lady."

"There may be two sides to every dilemma, but the duchess only favors hers," Obi-Wan whispered to his fellow Jedi. He could only stay out of the discussion for a few minutes, finally asserting, "A Republic military presence is the only sure defense against the Separatists."

"Even extremists can be reasoned with!"

"Perhaps, if one can be heard over the clanking of their battle droids."

"The sarcasm of a soldier."

"The delusion of a dreamer."

Rey and Anakin exchanged incredulous looks at the fight. Both were obviously thinking, _Is this really Obi-Wan Kenobi, the most mild-mannered Jedi in existence (except maybe Mace Windu)?_

Senator Merrick tried to ease the tension. "Duchess, Master Jedi, it's been a long trip. I think we could all use a little rest and refreshment."

"Hear, hear," the Twi'lek said. "Now let us put politics aside until after dinner."

"Fine!" the two shouted in chorus. The duchess pushed her way past Obi-Wan and stalked out of the room. Rey leaned over to Anakin, whispering, "Who's the Twi'lek senator? I forgot his name."

"Orn Free Taa," he muttered, still in shock over the scene.

"Thanks."

The Jedi began making their way to their assigned quarters. "You and Satine have a history," Anakin prompted Obi-Wan.

"An extended mission when I was younger. Master Qui-Gon and I spent a year on Mandalore protecting the duchess from insurgents who had threatened her world. They sent bounty hunters after us. We were always on the run, living hand-to-mouth, never sure what the next day would bring," Obi-Wan answered, clearly losing himself in the memories.

Anakin broke the spell. "Sounds romantic."

Obi-Wan glared at him. "A civil war killed most of Satine's people, hence her aversion to violence. When she returned, she took on the difficult task of rebuilding her world alone."

"You didn't stay to help her?" Anakin asked.

"That would have been problematic. My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere."

"Demanded? But it's obvious you had feelings for her. Surely that would affect your decision."

"Oh, it did. I live by the Jedi code."

"Of course. As Master Yoda says, 'A Jedi must not form attachments.'"

"Yes. But he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse."

Rey blinked. "Would this be an inappropriate time to remark that I'm really glad I don't live by that code?"

Before either could answer with anything more than a smirk, Obi-Wan's comm went off. "Yes, captain?"

"General, something's wrong with Skywalker's astromech. Scared him a real good, sir. I've also lost contact with two of my men."

"I'm on my way down to assist you," Obi-Wan said, hanging up.

"I'll go, master," Anakin said in a long-suffering tone. "If there's something dangerous down there, the clones and I can handle it."

He left. As the other two made their way back to the politicians, Obi-Wan muttered, "Why do I feel that he did that just to get me to spend time with Satine?"

"Probably did," Rey agreed.

They walked into the room where the senators and duchess were eating. "I beg your pardon, senators. Our men are investigating a situation below decks. I respectfully ask you to wait here until it is settled."

They agreed, of course, and a few moments later, Obi-Wan's comlink went off. "Please excuse us." The two of them withdrew, and he answered it. "Anakin, what have you found?"

"There's a large open container, and the contents are missing. And I still have two men unaccounted for."

"That's not good. Keep things quiet. We'll stay with the senators."

"Got it."

It went off again not two minutes later, and Anakin's worried tones cut through. "Obi-wan! There's assassin probes down here. One made it up the lift. I'll try to hold the others here."

"Quickly!" Obi-Wan ordered the Mandalorian guards. "Secure the lifts!" It broke into the room before anyone could do anything, though, and the politicians rushed to the other side of the room. Rey darted in front of them, with Obi-Wan leaping over the droid to stab its center. It went still, and, for a second, Rey thought they were safe. Then mini assassin droids began popping out all over it, drawing an undignified screech from Senator Taa. As the droids surrounded them, Rey took a stance in front of the (rather useless) Senators as Obi-Wan and Satine stood back to back. He sliced them, and she shot them with a deactivator. Rey mentally applauded Satine's courage as she sliced and hacked at the droids herself. Finally, it was over.

As Obi-Wan surveyed the chaos, he picked up one of the droids. "Just like that swarm of venom-mites on Draboon, remember?"

"How could I forget? I still have the scar."

"Begging your pardon, Duchess. I distinctly remember carrying you to safety."

"I meant the scar I got after you fell and dropped me."

Rey couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped as Obi-Wan answered, "Oh, yes."

Anakin soon came in with a cargo manifest, handing it to Obi-Wan. "One of our four distinguished senators appears to be a traitor."

"I sense it too."

A slight noise near them caught their attention. One of the small droids was crawling around. "It looks like one of our little visitors is still alive. I have an idea how to expose the turncoat. Return to the hull of the ship. Destroy the last assassin droids. Rey and I'll find out which of the senators is the traitor."

She nodded. "Uh…but, how, exactly?"

He winked, grabbing the loose droid. "You'll see."

They slipped out of the room, and he put the droid on a serving platter with a cover on top. "What are you doing?" Rey asked.

He smiled, draping a cloth over the glass lid. "Seeing if it likes any of them."

"Are you mad?"

"Perhaps," he answered as they reentered the room, hearing the duchess say, "By all means, be my guest, senator."

"If you insist," Taa replied. Upon spotting them, he continued, "Ah! Dessert! Excellent!"

"This morsel might prove too much even for the legendary appetite of Orn Free Taa," Obi-Wan quipped, removing the cloth with a flourish. "Enjoy."

"On second thought, it wouldn't agree with me."

"My theory is our little friend will attack the duchess and anyone who defends her. Anyone, that is, except the traitor who programmed it."

"Take it away! Please!" Senator Taa begged as the droid displayed aggression toward him.

"Obi-Wan, this line of questioning borders on torture!" Satine protested.

"Oh, I assure our pacifist duchess that all is under control. I'm trying to expose a bigger threat." He began slowly walking around the room, holding the platter close to the other three Senators. "Interesting. The droid displays unusual hostility toward the honorable Kin Robb…" He made his way behind Satine, drawing a violent reaction from the droid. It calmed down on the other side of her, near… "But it seems to like you, Senator Merrik."

"Well, prince?"

"Really, General Kenobi, you're quite clever!" He turned, upsetting the platter and freeing the droid. Both the Jedi ran after it, with Rey reacting only a split second faster, slicing it in half as it crawled on top of Senator Farr.

As they turned around, they heard Merrick say, "You're coming with me." He had a blaster held to Satine's head, dragging her off.

The two started running. "Anakin, Tal Merrik is the traitor, and he's taken Satine hostage."

"Copy that, but I've got problems of my own right now," was his whispered response.

He must have taken care of his problems, because they met him outside the lift before long. "Did you find them?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, but I've stationed troopers at every escape pod."

"Merrik will try to signal his allies for help. We have to find him."

Once they were descending, Anakin said, "This may not be the time to ask, but were you and Satine ever-"

"I don't see how that has any bearing on the situation at hand."

"I think that means 'yes,'" Rey fake-whispered. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at her.

An alarm began sounding as they stepped out of the lift. "I'll take care of this, Obi-wan," Anakin said, following the clones down the hall. "You, go find your girlfriend."

"Right. Wait, no, Anakin, she's not my-" He huffed, and Rey chuckled. They rushed to the cockpit, where they saw Merrick with the blaster still to Satine's head. "Come in, Kenobi. You're expected."

"Tal Merrik, you are under arrest. Release the duchess."

"I took the precaution of wiring the ship's engines to explode. I press this remote, and we all die."

"Obi, if you have any respect for me, you will not take such risks with so many people's lives at stake."

"Satine-" Obi-Wan began, but when Merrick started walking away, he said, "Don't," waving his saber. Rey joined him in following them into the hall.

The Senator activated his comlink. "This is Merrik. Stand by to disengage. Say farewell, duchess."

"Obi-Wan," she said. "It looks like I may never see you again. I don't know quite how to say this, but I've loved you from the moment you came to my aid all those years ago."

"I don't believe this."

"Satine, this is hardly the time or place for-" The stricken look on her face caused Obi-Wan to stop. "All right. Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order."

At this point, Rey's jaw might as well have been on the floor. _I see what Grandpa meant…_

"That is touching. Truly, it is. But it's making me sick, and we really must be going."

Satine snapped, "You have the romantic soul of a slug, Merrik."

"Ow!" he shrieked as she drove her heel into his foot, making him drop the blaster.

She grabbed it and whirled around to face him. "And slugs are so often trod upon!"

 _Go, pacifist duchess!_

"Interesting turnabout, but even if I do not deliver the duchess alive to the Separatists, I still win. The second I'm away, I'll hit the remote and blow the _Coronet_ to bits."

"I will not allow that!"

"What will you do? If you shoot me, you prove yourself a hypocrite to every pacifist ideal you hold dear. And you, Kenobi. You are no stranger to violence. You'd be hailed as a hero by everyone on this ship. Almost everyone. Come on, then. Who'll strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "You forgot me." She lunged past Obi-Wan and Satine, her saber slicing toward his neck. As he stumbled backward to avoid her blow, a blue saber emerged from his chest, and a familiar hand caught the remote as it fell.

Satine cast the blaster away in revulsion as Obi-Wan muttered, "Anakin."

"What? He was gonna blow up the ship," he defended himself.

"Obi-Wan, I-" Satine began, but she stopped upon hearing Cody. "General Skywalker, the last of the droids have been defeated, sir."

"Very good, Cody," Anakin answered.

"I must get back to the business of diplomacy," Satine said slowly and regretfully.

"As you say, duchess. Some other time," Obi-Wan replied in the same tone.

The duchess walked away, with the Jedi following. Rey bit her lip, considering possible consequences for her new idea. She shrugged and murmured, "It'll be worth it."

The three Jedi returned to their quarters. Obi-Wan and Anakin went all the way in, but Rey stood in the door. She turned to Obi-Wan. "Anakin's been married to Padmé since right after the First Battle of Geonosis." Her gaze then fastened on the spluttering Anakin. "Obi-Wan just said that he'd have left the Order for Satine if she had asked." She grinned brightly and waved. "Have fun!" Then, she slammed her hand on the door control, closing it before activating the lock from the outside. "I'm going to go hang out with Satine," she decided.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

She let them out a few hours later, and they seemed to have talked everything out. Both momentarily glowered at her, but neither attacked her, so she figured she was fine. The _Coronet_ arrived on Coruscant a few hours after that. They were greeted by Palpatine, the very sight of whom set Rey on edge. "A job well done, Master Jedi."

"Thank you, chancellor," Obi-Wan said.

"Your Excellency," Anakin added.

Satine and Obi-Wan stepped aside for a moment, while Anakin and Rey watched. After a brief conversation, she held a hand up to his cheek and walked away. They went back to Obi-Wan. "What was that all about?" Anakin asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "A very remarkable woman."

"She is indeed," Obi-Wan agreed.

 _A/N: Soooo…they know about each other's romantic lives now! Yay! More fallout from that in the next chapter!_


	29. Don't Mess with a Duchess

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 28: Don't Mess with a Duchess**

A few days after they had arrived on Coruscant, Rey and Obi-Wan stood above the Senate chambers, watching the proceedings. The padawan shivered as Palpatine spoke, "It grieves me to say it, but Death Watch is now a significant, deadly threat."

"Mandalore is making great strides to find the leaders of this terrorist movement. They are not powerful enough to destabilize our government," Satine argued. "We will resolve this without conflict. If the Republic gets involved in our affairs, it will only lead to further violence. Thus, I shall reassert our position of neutrality."

"Talk of an idealist," the blue guy beside the chancellor sneered.

"No, those are the words of a pacifist and a people who have chosen nonviolent action."

"That may be so, duchess. However, this message was delivered to my staff just this morning. I think you shall find it most illuminating," Palpatine said, starting a hologram.

"The actions by our government have taken us into a period of civil war," the man in it said. "To acknowledge it would be to invite panic in the streets."

Rey sighed deeply. "I have a strange…bad-strange, I mean, feeling about this."

Obi-Wan nodded as the hologram continued, "It is more than mere possibility, more than eventuality. It is here."

"Stop!" Satine cried. "Deputy Minister Jerec is an honorable man. He would never commit such lies to the record. The Mandalorian government holds no secrets from its people."

"If only that were true," Palpatine mused as the recording was resumed. "Death Watch is far stronger than we once thought. If we are to combat them effectively, we must have Republic assistance. Instead, this government acts out of pride and rejects the help of the Jedi."

"It's not true! It's not true!" the duchess protested.

"The duchess Satine will ultimately cause our defeat. Make no mistake. Republic intervention is absolutely necessary."

"This isn't right. Something here isn't right. I wish to speak to Jerec immediately."

"Sadly, Deputy Minister Jerec perished this morning in a Death Watch bombing on Kalevala. Let us ensure that his death was not in vain. Let us commit our military might to defending the Mandalorian people," Palpatine called.

"Defending? You mean to occupy our home. You would trample our right to self-determination!"

"We mean to save your people."

"You will turn our planet into a military target, which will bring the war to us. Mandalore must remain a neutral system."

Palpatine ignored Satine's protests. "The vote shall commence in the next session."

Obi-Wan bit his lip before rushing out. Rey hesitated for a brief moment before following. "Duchess! Satine, wait." He grabbed her arm. "I just heard what happened in the Senate."

"You're sweet to be concerned, but I promise, I'll be all right."

"I am concerned. Satine, I don't think you should make any decisions in this state of mind."

"This state of mind? And what state of mind would that be, precisely?"

"What I'm saying is, any person would be hysterical by now, but-"

"Hysterical? The Republic is attempting to force its will upon innocent people."

"I only meant that-"

"Frankly, I'm surprised you're not hysterical. Perhaps if more citizens got hysterical, they'd be more inclined to speak up when the Republic tramples on their rights."

"Rushing in like this, it's foolhardy."

"Ironic words from a man who spends his days running hither and yon, wielding his lightsaber with deadly force as if on a crusade. Why should I listen to someone who so frequently relies on violence? In my opinion, you're the one who's foolhardy." She stormed off.

Rey sidled up to Obi-Wan. "Well, that went well."

He gave her a pointed glare.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Later that day, they received news that Satine had been in a speeder accident. She was all right, but her driver was killed. Obi-Wan and Rey rushed to the Senate building, waiting for her to exit a meeting with the chancellor. "Satine, I just heard about your accident," Obi-Wan said when she came out.

"Those two are- This government will- Ugh!"

Rey raised her eyebrows, swallowing a laugh as Obi-Wan grabbed the duchess's arm. "Satine, tell me what happened."

"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt. I didn't want to worry you."

"Well, I'm afraid, on that count, you've failed spectacularly. Look what happened."

"Look what happened? This attack proves I've upset someone. I must be on the right track."

"This attack proves your enemies are here even on Coruscant." He paused at the look on her face. "You're not going to let Republic authorities handle this, are you? You're not backing down."

"Republic authorities? Certainly not. I'm on my way to the ministry of intelligence right now to meet my contact."

"Don't you see? You need your friends with you, not held at arm's length. In your quest to be self-reliant, have you decided to cut your friends out of your life?"

"I-I don't know."

At that moment, Padmé walked up to the group. "Senator, what is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The Senate completed its vote. They've decided in favor of occupation."

"When did this happen? The vote was supposed to be tomorrow!" Satine exclaimed.

"It was during your meeting with the chancellor. Your accident accelerated the Senate's decision. Republic forces are set to leave for Mandalore at sunrise tomorrow."

The duchess turned back to Obi-Wan. "You see? I was right before. Counting on the Republic is a mistake."

As she walked off, Rey sighed heavily. "Do you understand now why I'm not fond of politics? Especially the chancellor. Oh, no offence, Senator Amidala."

Padmé smiled. "None taken. I'm not particularly fond of Palpatine's policies lately myself."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Rey and Obi-Wan were going over some basic training (which she had been doing so much of that she was getting tired of it!) when his comlink went off. "Obi-Wan, come in. Obi-wan, are you there?"

He snatched it up, concerned because of the news that the duchess had killed an informant. "Satine, where are you? Mas Amedda has demanded you turn yourself in."

"I know. Listen to me. Obi-wan, I need your help."

He sighed. "What do you need?"

"Meet me at the coordinates I'll send you."

"We'll be there." The two got up and slipped out.

They found her rather easily, tucked up underneath a cape. "Nice disguise," Obi-Wan whispered. "Seeing you all right is, well, it's a relief. You should turn yourself in. We've both sworn a loyalty to the Republic."

"Believe me, neither one of us is breaking our oath. And this will prove it." She held out a datadisk. "I need to get it into the proper hands."

"But the Republic guards are hunting you, which means-"

"Whoever doctored this recording is likely in the government itself."

"If you set foot inside the Senate, they'll take you."

"And the disc will be destroyed before anyone can see it, which is why you must take the disc to Padmé."

As the two began to walk away, Rey trailed behind them, her hand hovering near her lightsaber, watchful for danger. "Where will you be while I'm in the Senate? What if they find you?" Obi-Wan worried.

"They won't. I'm going to surrender to them."

"What?"

"You'll need a distraction to enter the Senate freely. I can't risk them searching you just because you and I are associates."

"I'm a Jedi. They wouldn't dare."

"Things are changing, my dear."

A beeping nearby drew Rey's attention. "Master!" she called, trying to throw the thermal detonator away from them. Obi-Wan shoved Satine to the ground before engaging the approaching Mandalorian and destroying his blaster. Rey rushed to the duchess's side. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "I think so."

Rey turned back to Obi-Wan. "Go," she whispered, igniting her saber. "I can handle this."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Both the Jedi and duchess disappeared into the night as Rey kicked the Mandalorian into a nearby building. He charged her, trying to knock her down, but to no avail; her years on Jakku had taught her how to defend herself, even in scraps like this.

He managed to yank out his secondary blaster and shot at her, but she reflected the bolts easily. He started up his jetpack, but, before he could take off, she swung her leg into his, causing him to stumble. That was all the distraction she needed to plunge her saber into his chest. Heaving great gulps of air, she began her trek to meet up with her master.

Rey caught up with Obi-Wan in the Senate building as Padmé was saying, "I think this should cast a new light on the so-called evidence we saw earlier."

The holorecording of Jerec from earlier was played, but with some…differences. "The actions by our government have taken us into a period of civil war. To acknowledge it would be to invite panic in the streets. Death Watch is far stronger than we once thought. But we have been training for this. We can stop them. But if we are to combat them effectively, we must have the temerity to stand strong in the name of peace. And if we are to do so, we must reject any Republic assistance. Instead, this government will act. It acts not out of pride but for safety. Intervention by the Republic will inflame the opposition. And this is why our government rejects the help of the Jedi. We must listen to the duchess Satine. If we do not, we will ultimately cause our defeat."

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to stop the army from going to Mandalore.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

The next morning, Anakin, Rey, and Obi-Wan were invited to a meeting with Palpatine, Padmé, Satine, and Mas Amedda (the blue guy). "Thankfully, with the revelation of this new information, the occupation of Mandalore is no longer necessary," the chancellor said (Rey didn't think his gratitude was very sincere).

"The person to thank is Duchess Satine. She found the proof," Padme gently corrected.

"I require no thanks," the duchess said as she entered.

"Satine. The senate held an emergency session, and Republic forces have been ordered to stand down."

"Allow me to offer a most sincere apology on behalf of the entire Republic. You are a most loyal servant, and we are all grateful," Palpatine complimented.

"Yes, grateful," Amedda said, not at all believably.

"Chancellor, if you and Mas Amedda would join me for a moment, we have some logistics to discuss in order to ratify the Senate's decision." Padme, Amedda, Palpatine, and Anakin left, with Rey hovering near the door to hear Obi-Wan and Satine's conversation. "But for you, this wouldn't have happened," the duchess said.

"No, it was your unshakable faith in your people and your determination that brought about this result."

"I appreciate that. But still, who is behind all of this? Who tampered with that recording? Who tried to convict me of murder and throw me in jail?"

"I'm not sure. But as you said yourself, things are changing. And sometimes the line between friend and foe is blurred, now more than ever."

 _A/N: Gah, am I the only one who loves Satine?_


	30. A Sweet Break

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 29: A Sweet Break**

Rey glanced at Obi-Wan in mild confusion as he thrust an envelope (one made of actual paper) into her hand. "What is this?"

"Open it," he said, seeming almost flustered.

She did, reading it aloud. "Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze request the honor of your presence at their wedd-What?" She jerked her head up, staring at him. "You two are getting married?"

"Apparently."

"But what about the Code?"

He shrugged. "We decided that, since Anakin and Padmé seem to be happy while keeping their relationship a secret, we could be happy doing it, too. Also, I don't believe that aspect of the Code will be around forever."

Rey grinned. "Well, I'm happy for you. Oh, and don't worry. I'll be there tonight."

"Wonderful."

Rey then left the room, walking with a bounce in her step, knowing that something was changing for the better because Anakin and Obi-Wan knew about each other's relationships. Her good mood lasted all the way to the detention area, where she didn't even have to stare at the guards to get them to give her and Ben privacy. (Apparently she was gaining a reputation among the Jedi for her service in the war.) She pushed the access button and stepped into the cell. "Hi," she greeted her cousin.

"Hi," he answered. "It's been a while since you've been to see me."

She huffed, plopping down on the bed beside him. "Again, war. Busy."

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I know; I'm just teasing you."

With a sigh, she laid her head on Ben's shoulder. "Do you think they'll let you out any time soon?"

"I doubt they're planning to let me out at all."

"I'll try to talk to someone about that."

He shook his head. "Don't bother. It would just cast suspicion on you. We wouldn't want that."

She laughed. "When did you get so kind?"

He stilled. "Rey, I've always loved my little cousin. Time spent trying to kill you notwithstanding, I mean."

Rey blinked, processing that. She didn't know what to say about that, so she was silent for several moments. Finally, she said, "Well, Obi-Wan is getting married tonight. Anakin, Padmé, and I will be there."

"So Obi-Wan knows about Anakin and Padmé being married?"

She chuckled. "Yes, he knows."

"What's so funny about that?" he asked.

"I kind of sprung it on the two of them." She told him about her abrupt announcements and locking them in the room. They had a good laugh at Anakin's shock.

After that, they sat in silence for a good few minutes before Rey asked, "When you were a Jedi, what color was your lightsaber?"

"Green, why? What color's yours?"

"I was just wondering. Mine's yellow."

"I don't believe I ever saw one of those at your father's academy."

"I don't think it's common. It's also two-sided."

"Wow. Very rare."

She nodded, growing comfortable leaning on him. Both were quiet for a long time; Rey almost fell asleep. Finally, though, she roused herself, sitting up. "I suppose I need to go. Weddings weren't big on Jakku, but I do believe it's customary to arrive with a gift, yes?"

"Yes, it is."

"It appears that I have to go shopping, in that case." She stood, leaning over to hug him before calling for the guards to let her out. "Bye, Ben."

"Goodbye, Rey. Be careful out there." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll try. The battle droids might pose a problem with that, though."

She slipped through the Temple, somewhat nervous about wandering around Coruscant. Before she set out, however, her comlink went off. "Hello?"

"Rey, it's Padmé. Could you come to my apartment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Certainly. I'll be there soon." She climbed into a speeder and took off, heading for 500 Republica. A handmaiden (whose name she thought was Teckla) answered her knock. "I'm Rey," she began.

"Yes, Senator Amidala is expecting you," Teckla answered, leading Rey inside. Padmé stood waiting. She smiled and hugged her. "It's good to see you, Rey."

"Good to see you, too, Padmé. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I thought that perhaps...well, first, I assume you were invited tonight?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm very excited."

Padmé smiled. "So am I. I was just about to go purchase them a wedding present; would you like to come?"

"You know, I was about to do that myself. I'd be delighted."

The two ladies had a fine time together picking out presents for Obi-Wan and Satine. Padmé wound up buying a romantic holovid (after the two had a lengthy conversation about what was appropriate to get an eloping couple), though she told Rey, "Anakin doesn't know it yet, but we're also getting them a book of advice from us on how to have a strong but secret marriage."

Rey laughed at that before browsing around and picking out a matching pair of pendants for them. "They could hide them easily but still see them often and be reminded of each other."

"That's...actually a very sweet thought."

Several hours later, it was time to go to the wedding. Anakin escorted the girls. The wedding was held in Satine's temporary apartment while she was on Coruscant. A Nubian holy man conducted the ceremony before slipping away to give the bride and groom and their guests privacy. They had a light meal and gave the couple their gifts.

Soon enough, the Skywalkers knew that they were close to overstaying their welcome and have their good wishes (and a bit of teasing) one last time. "I suppose you gathered that I'll be staying here tonight?" Obi-Wan asked Rey.

"Yes, I did. Don't worry; I'll be fine by myself." She winked. "I'll even make excuses for you if anyone asks."

He rolled his eyes. "Thank you."

As Anakin flew Rey back to the Temple (apparently he was staying with Padmé), he said, "Rey, I've been thinking."

"Well, that's a first," she couldn't resist saying. "What about?"

"About that question you asked Padmé and I a while ago: who is profiting most from this war?"

"Oh, that. Do you have a guess, then?"

"The only name I keep thinking of is Chancellor Palpatine. I hate to even think that he could be connected to the Sepratists or the Dark Side, but...well...it makes sense."

"I agree," Padmé said. "This issue with Mandalore only makes me more distrustful of him."

"Yes, I agree as well. He's definitely someone we need to keep an eye on." Inside, Rey was jumping with joy. _Anakin doesn't trust Palpatine anymore! That's one step closer to permanently destroying the Sith!_

 _A/N: Thought last chapter was the last of Satine for a while?_

 _Oh, guess what? My laptop messed up again. So this might be the last chapter for a while. Sorry!_


	31. The Battle of Kamino

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 30: The Battle of Kamino**

A few weeks later, everything was back to normal. Satine had returned to Mandalore, and Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Rey were on board a Jedi Cruiser, waiting for orders. They cane in the form of an intercepted message from General Grievous, sent to Ventress. "The clone planet of Kamino will be a dangerous target," Ventress mused in the grainy, distorted hologram.

"Just make sure you hold up your half of the mission," the general sneered. "We must stop the production of new clones if we are to win this war." That was all they had been able to get, but it was enough.

"Kamino," Anakin mused.

"They're going to attack our home planet," Rex muttered angrily.

"The Separatists are taking quite the chance even considering this," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"With all due respect, General, if someone comes to our home, they better be carrying a big blaster."

"I concur with Captain Rex, Sir. This is personal for us clones," Cody agreed.

"We'll make sure Kamino is secure. Tell your troopers in the 501st they're going home," Anakin ordered.

"Yes, sir," the clone officers chorused.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

When they arrived on Kamino, rain was pouring and thunder crashing. "Is this usual weather here?" Rey heard Anakin ask Obi-Wan.

"Apparently so," he answered.

"Can I stay, then?" Rey asked, throwing her hood off her head to let the rain wash over her.

The boys chuckled as they were approached by a Togruta Jedi and a Kaminoan.

"Masters Kenobi and Skywalker, welcome to Kamino," the Jedi said.

"Greetings, generals," the Kaminoan added.

"I wish our arrival wasn't under such circumstances," Obi-Wan responded. "We believe Grievous is planning a Separatist attack on Kamino."

"But the Republic blockade is far too strong. They would not dare," the Kaminoan protested.

"Never underestimate General Grievous, Prime Minister," Anakin replied.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Soon enough, the Separatist fleet arrived. Obi-Wan and Master Tii (the Togruta), along with the Prime Minister, manned the command center. Rey and Anakin, however, took to the skies in their fighters. "Good to see you, General, Commander," one of the clone pilots greeted. Ready to have some fun?"

Anakin smirked. "You know me, Broadside. I'd rather be up here than stuck in a command center."

"So would I," Rey agreed. The squad quickly began doing a number on the transport ships, which were surrounding the command ship. "Focus on the cruisers," Anakin ordered.

"Anakin, the ships are falling apart too easily. Something's wrong!" Rey called, doing a tight flip to avoid some missiles headed her way.

"Maybe so, but I'm gonna press the attack, Master," he said into the shared comm.

"No, Anakin. Wait. It's too easy. Not even Grievous would attack so recklessly," Obi-Wan argued.

"Master, the battle's up here in space, not down there. The debris from the destroyed Separatist ships is the key."

"What are you thinking?" Master Tii asked.

"I think I'd like to go for a swim."

They didn't hear anything on the comms for a while, just continuing to take out as many ships as possible (though Rey, at least, was being careful about how much they blew apart). "Nothing as of yet," Obi-Wan finally said.

"Only you could be worried about the ships we already shot down," Anakin replied.

They didn't hear from Obi-Wan for several more minutes as they kept blasting the Separatists out of the sky. Soon, however, their comlinks chimed simultaneously. "Anakin, Rey, the city is under attack. I need you down here now!"

"On our way," Anakin answered for the both of them. They pulled out of formation and descended to the surface. There, they met up with Obi-Wan and stood side by side, clones behind them shooting down whatever droids they could. "There aren't enough droids here to capture the city. They're trying to distract us," Obi-Wan realized. "Anakin, go protect the DNA chamber. Rey and I'll deal with Grievous."

"Got it," Anakin responded, rushing away.

"So we get to fight off the freaky droid-with-breathing-issues _again_?" Rey asked.

"I'm afraid so. But perhaps this time will be the last."

Rey sighed. "I imagine not, though." They made their way through the halls of Kamino, lights flashing red as they finally saw Grievous. His battle droids were engaging a group of clones as he sneered, "All too easy."

"Define 'easy,' general," Obi-Wan replied, standing calmly in the middle of the hall, with Rey beside him.

"Kenobi. And his padawan." All three withdrew and ignited lightsabers. The cyborg charged the two Jedi, knocking Rey aside with one of his extra arms. She gasped loudly as she slammed into the wall. Blinking quickly, she tried to recover. Obi-Wan, she saw, was also being pushed down. "Kamino has fallen. Your clone army is doomed."

"I beg to differ, Grievous," Obi-Wan said, just as Rey shoved Grievous aside, bringing the Force to bear on his metal frame. He managed to pull himself up and scuttled away on all six legs, as Rey ran to Obi-Wan's side, helping him to his feet. "We have to follow him!" he called.

She nodded. "Let's go." They ran out to an outdoor platform, the only place he could have gone, but they couldn't see him. "Where...is he?" Rey asked slowly, just before he jumped them. _Must have been hiding under the bridge,_ she thought as she parried, using the 'saber's momentum to send him sliding toward Obi-Wan. Suddenly, the platform started to shake and turn. Obi-Wan lost his balance and went plummeting into the water below, while Grievous again clung to the side with his six legs. Rey also tumbled toward the edge, but her days climbing through abandoned ships came flooding back to her, and she hauled herself up, climbing up a flat surface (the lightsaber helped; scavenging would have been so easy with that!).

As the general made his way back to his small ship (sort of like an escape pod, she realized), Rey crept up behind him, slicing his legs off at the knees. He cried out in shock, whirling around and trying to clutch at Rey's throat with one of his lower hands. She coughed but still managed to raise her saber to his chest area, cutting swiftly. With the backstroke of that swing, she cut the hand around her throat as close as she dared. She pried it off with the Force, watching as the two halves of Grievous fell into the water.

Obi-Wan shot up then, clinging to the back of a native creature. "We've got to stop meeting like this, my friend," he told it, glancing down at Rey. "Want a lift?" His eyes swept over the area. "Where's Grievous?"

"Dead." She leaped over onto the creature, settling in behind him.

"You...how..."

"He expected me to fall like you did. He didn't count on my years spent scavenging fallen ships that never landed upright."

He blinked. "Wow. Good job."

"Thanks, but can we get out of here now? I'd like to stand on something solid without anyone trying to kill me."

He smirked. "Yes, let's go."

They found Anakin again, and he told them about his fight with Ventress and her subsequent rescue by vulture droids. "So, how did you two do?" he asked.

"I almost died. Rey, on the other hand, killed Grievous," Obi-Wan said.

"Wait, you what?" Anakin's face betrayed his shock.

 _A/N: *drops mic*_

 _There is a method to my madness, I promise!_


	32. Meeting an Interesting Jedi

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 31: Meeting an Interesting Jedi**

After a debacle where bounty hunter Cade Bane held some Senators hostage in order to free Ziro the Hutt (the person behind the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt's son), Rey, Obi-Wan, and another Jedi Rey had never met were assigned to track him down. As they were waiting for the other Jedi, Cody said to Obi-Wan, "Sir, you seem troubled."

"Quinlan Vos has that effect."

"Ah, yes. That Jedi has quite a reputation."

"That may be overstating it, Cody. Let's just say he's crazy."

Rey chuckled. "This might be fun after all."

"Ship entry from the west, Sir." Cody pointed straight ahead of them.

"Hey, Kenobi," a voice called from above them. With a _thump,_ Quinlan Vos leaped out of his ship and landed on the ground in front of them. "Hey, Commander. Looking good. Kenobi, you look worse for wear. How's temple life?" When the only response he got was a half-sneer, he muttered, "Good to see you too." He then looked at Rey. "Well, now, who's this pretty little lady? Kenobi, the company you keep has gotten better since the last time I saw you!"

" _That,_ Quinlan, is my padawan. Leave her alone please. And if you could tell time half as well as you could stick a landing, we wouldn't be behind schedule, now would we?"

"Well, that's your opinion, man."

"Let's get down to business," Obi-Wan replied exasperatedly. "Ziro the Hutt was broken out during a hostage takeover."

"Yeah, I read the briefing about that mess."

"I suspect Jabba the Hutt is behind this. He still has it out for Ziro over the kidnapping of his son."

"Well, my information indicates that Ziro has damaging evidence against the Hutt council. My guess is they've taken him to the Hutt home planet Nal Hutta."

"As for this bounty hunter Cad Bane, we must capture and return both he and his quarry Ziro to the courts. I trust you and I can keep eyes forward in this common goal?"

"No problem. I owe Bane one anyway. I'll fly. You're my copilot."

As he darted into the ship, Obi-Wan muttered, "I was afraid he'd say that."

"I'll copilot, if you'd rather me. It might be fun." Rey grinned.

"Well...all right, but try not to pick up any bad habits from him, understand?"

"Oh, of course, Master!"

Rey followed Master Vos into the cockpit. He blinked when she slid into the copilot chair. "Well, well. Why are you here?"

"I'm a better pilot than he is, and I enjoy it more," she answered.

"Better than Kenobi? Of course, that doesn't take much."

"Yes; the fact that he hates flying doesn't help that."

"No, it doesn't." He shrugged. "All right, you can be my copilot, kid."

"Kid? I'm twenty years old!" she protested as they lifted off the landing pad, heading for space.

"Yeah, well, I'm 36. Anyway, what's your name, Kenobi's padawan?"

She laughed in spite of herself. "Rey."

"Well, Rey, my name is Quinlan."

"Yes, I've heard."

"Kenobi telling horror stories about me?"

"More like just implying that you are rather insane before refusing to speak any more on the subject."

He nodded. "I see. Well, I'm not as bad as Kenobi makes me out to be...at least, I don't think I am." He winked.

"If you don't mind, Master Vos," Rey said as they jumped to hyperspace. "I'll make my own decision about that."

"I don't mind if you promise to never call me Master Vos again. My name is Quinlan, got that?"

She chuckled. "All right, Quinlan."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

They arrived on Nal Hutta and entered the Hutt Council to see a party. Rey blinked at the strange decorations as the music abruptly stopped, and the head Hutt asked, "How goes the war, gentlemen?"

"Great Gardulla, we bring unfortunate news" Obi-Wan began. "Ziro the Hutt has escaped our custody with the aid of the bounty hunter Cad Bane."

"I already know this, Jedi Knights," she responded.

"I'm beginning to think you're the ones who broke him out," Quinlan accused. Rey's eyes widened at his bluntness.

"And why would the great Hutt families do such a thing?

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Quinlan, the Hutts are our allies," Obi-Wan chided, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You are lucky to be with a Jedi as wise as Kenobi, or you might not be allowed to leave here alive."

Quinlan was ignoring the warning, however, in favor of picking up a cup lying on the ground. "Maybe next time I'll come alone, hmm?"

"We only came to deliver the message. We should be leaving now," Obi-Wan said, trying to perform damage control, Rey guessed. The music started up again as they walked out, covering the sound of Quinlan saying, "Ziro was here. He was holding one of those cups."

"Nice work."

"How do you know that?" Rey asked.

"Quinlan has a rather useful power called psychometry. Basically, he can get images, sounds, or even complete memories from objects thanks to the Force, simply by touching them."

"Useful indeed," she said as the three of them turned, making their way to the dungeon, not back to their ship. Two dead guards were their first clue that something was wrong. Obi-Wan rushed into the cell. "Rey, Vos, Ziro escaped."

"I think he had help," Quinlan said.

"We best hurry."

 ** _*O*W*S*_**

"I understand your tracking talent, but why wouldn't Ziro leave the planet? Why not just fly away?" Obi-Wan asked Quinlan as they raced through the swamps of Nal Hutta.

"My senses tell me that he's still here."

"It's illogical. He knows he's being looked for here."

"Something is keeping him here," Quinlan insisted.

"If we'd brought a droid, this would go faster," Obi-Wan muttered, aggravated. Suddenly, a large serpent-like creature rose up out of the swamp, wrapping its coils around Obi-Wan. Rey screamed his name, throwing her lightsaber (ignited) at the part of the beast that was stretched above her master, the neck-like area. It squealed its shock at the sudden pain, and Obi-Wan's saber dealt the death blow. "Are you finished messing around? We're trying to catch Ziro, remember?" Quinlan goaded.

"Which way have they gone?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well, since you're suddenly so interested in my tracking abilities, they went this way."

"I never doubted you." The three continued on their way to finding the escaped Hutt. Out of nowhere (well, actually it came from behind them, but anyway), a speeder blew past them, going in the same direction. "Looks as though we're not the only ones after Ziro," Obi-Wan mused.

"The bounty hunter, you think?" Rey asked.

"Hmm. Most likely," Obi-Wan agreed. They came upon a house after a bit more walking. "We must be cautious," Obi-Wan murmured.

Quinlan, of course, didn't listen, carving into the door with his saber before kicking it in. "Vos, somebody lives here!" Obi-Wan was clearly getting tired of him.

"Ugh! Smells like somebody died here."

"Break in my house, will you, smart guy?" the gigantic Hutt inhabiting the room growled out.

"A thousand pardons, madam. He hasn't mastered the concept of knocking. For that, I apologize." Obi-Wan tried to salvage the situation.

 _That's a female?_ Rey wondered. _How does he know?_

The Hutt flung one of...whatever the creature crawling on her was onto Quinlan. "I got trouble for you too, Mr. Fancypants."

"No need. We're not here to harm you," Obi-Wan announced.

"That'll be a first for tonight."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning first, my deadbeat son and his limp-lipped girlfriend come in and sponge me out of my starship. Then some slime sap and his droid charge in and force me to give up the skinny on where Ziro's headed."

"Big hat?" Quinlan asked.

"Yeah. Chad something out for blood. You want to kill my little boy too?"

"Oh, no, madam, but if we don't find him before Bane does, your son will not be so lucky," Obi-Wan warned.

"Teth. Ziro's heading for Teth."

"We need to get to that jungle planet," Quinlan said. "We need to get there fast."

"Hey, who's going to pay for my door?" They all ignored her as they ran to their ship.

 ** _*O*W*S*_**

When they arrived on Teth, they found two dead Hutts, one dead for a long time and the other Ziro. "Who could have done this?" Obi-Wan asked. Before anyone could answer his (admittedly rhetorical) question, they heard someone approaching from behind. Slowly, they turned as one. "Bane," Obi-Wan muttered.

"Looks like we're both too late for the party," the blue bounty hunter said.

"So this is not your handiwork?"

"No, I wouldn't have made such a sloppy kill. Doesn't seem like much sense hanging around here or making any trouble between us."

"Are you forgetting how you held the Senate hostage? I may not be capturing Ziro, but you are going to prison."

"Well, now that you mention it, the Separatists are paying a million credits a head for a Jedi. Imagine what I could get for three." He whipped out his blasters, shooting, but the three Jedi were ready, reflecting the bolts back toward him as he raced away. Bane leaped over unsteady terrain, knocking rubble toward the Jedi. Obi-Wan and Rey were able to keep up, but Quinlan was knocked off course. The Master and Padawan kept up with the bounty hunter as he continued to cause rockslides with his blasters. Obi-Wan tried to get closer, but he ended up hanging off the edge of a ledge. "Master!" Rey called as Quinlan chased the bounty hunter. She started to go to help Kenobi, but he waved her toward the other Jedi, who was struggling thanks to interference from Bane's droid. Bane slid between Quinlan's legs, trying to knock him off balance, but Rey's lightsaber deterred him. Obi-Wan jumped down upon recovery.

Bane glanced at the four blades he was against before apparently deciding that fighting three Jedi wasn't worth it. He shot flames at them, knocking Rey and Quinlan head over heels, tumbling toward the edge of the cliff. His droid slammed into Obi-Wan, sending him after the other two. All three Jedi managed to catch themselves, and Bane activated his rocket-boosters on his boots, flying off toward his ship. As they began climbing up to solid ground, Obi-Wan muttered toward Quinlan, "I never did enjoy hanging out with you."

Rey suppressed a snort.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

They returned to Coruscant soon after, and, as Rey and Obi-Wan settled into the Temple (for as short a time as they would likely be there), she whispered, "So...considering that so many Jedi...them being you and Anakin...seem to be breaking the Code, in regard to marriage, at least, I think we should try to set up Quinlan...maybe with Ventress? They seem like they might get along well."

Obi-Wan didn't bother to answer; he was too busy laughing.

 _A/N: So, I will be on vacation next week. The next chapter won't come until Monday, August 7th._


	33. Ventress and Droids (Again)

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 32: Ventress and Droids (Again)**

Rey, Obi-Wan and Anakin had been sent to the Sullust system to take care of an attack by Ventress. The battle, once joined, quickly became brutal. It took all of Rey's and Anakin's combined piloting skills to keep all of the Republic cruisers from being shot down. The three Jedi were flying side by side when a Separatist ship sneaked up behind them and landed a hit on Obi-Wan's ship. "Ventress," Anakin muttered.

"Split up!" Obi-Wan commanded. The three branched off, Obi-Wan going right, Anakin left, and Rey up. "Looks like I'm her favorite," Obi-Wan commented when Ventress's ship followed him.

"I'm kind of disappointed. Only the droids followed me," Anakin said.

"I'm not. They're easier!" Rey added.

"You want to race?" Anakin asked the droids trailing him. "Come on."

"They can't hear you, Anakin," she said as she did a tight flip, taking out the droids after she was behind them.

He ignored her, of course, as they met up again to look for Obi-Wan, who was saying, "Rey, Anakin, I'm going to need some help."

"Where are you?" Anakin asked urgently.

"I'm hit! I'm heading toward the Separatist flagship."

"I see you. I've got her," he said, his voice filled with grim determination.

"We've got her," Rey responded, joining Anakin in shooting toward the distinctive ship. Their shots flew true, striking her ship and sending it spiraling after Obi-Wan's into the Separatist ship. They followed the two into the hangar, landing beside Obi-Wan's wreck of a ship.

"Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan!" both called as they rushed toward him. Artoo jumped out of his socket, wheeling after them to check on Obi-Wan. The droid's fire extinguisher popped out, trying to stop the flames engulfing the ship, but also managing to hit Obi-Wan.

"Thank you. Thank you, Artoo. That's quite enough," he said with a cough, exiting the remains of his ship.

The three Jedi ignited their lightsabers, slowly making their way to the Sith apprentice's ship. She emerged shortly. "Ventress, you're not looking well," Obi-Wan observed.

"She never does," Anakin muttered. Rey snorted.

Predictably, Obi-Wan ignored them. "You have failed, Ventress. Surrender."

"Never." She screeched as she leaped at them, her two sabers coming down on their three. _Is it just me, or does she sound almost like that Geonosian queen did?_ Rey thought, though she didn't entertain such distractions for long.

These three-on-one battles were getting more and more predictable. Ventress kicked Obi-Wan away, the other two covering him as he rose. Anakin Force-pushed her into a wall, she performed some acrobatics to get away from him and engaged Rey. Obi-Wan pulled himself to his feet and joined them again. She knocked all four blades away before stumbling back against what was left of her ship. They advanced, thinking they had her, but suddenly, she lashed out, tossing Rey into a nearby wall and Force-choking the boys. She let out some terrible screams while she was at it.

Suddenly, the ship shook. All three of them tumbled to the ground as Rey crawled over toward them. "Someone's shooting at us!" she called.

"Really? We didn't notice!" Anakin snapped. They managed to resume their lightsaber battle as the deck still sloped, throwing them off balance and sending ships sliding into them. Finally, though, Ventress's lightsabers were on the ground, the Jedi's all pointed at her neck. "It's over," Anakin growled.

Before anything definitive could happen, however, vulture droids started spinning into the hangar. "Anakin, Rey, look out!" Obi-Wan screamed. All of them flung themselves to the side, trying to avoid the explosion. They stood, looking at the flames. "We have to get out of here!" Obi-Wan called. They all jumped into their fighters, forgetting about Ventress and rushing out of the hangar before more vulture droids showed up.

 ** _*O*W*S*_**

Of course, they had plenty to talk about on the way back to Coruscant. "But why would the droids be going after Ventress?" Anakin asked as the three sat in a circle, trying to work out the conundrum.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard as he sunk deep into thought.

"Maybe they were just after us and didn't care if they got her in the crossfire?" Rey suggested.

"I don't think so; as far as we know, she, Dooku, and Grievous are the only ones who could give orders to the droid army, at least wholesale."

"And generally it's the one on site who calls most of the shots," Anakin added, chin on his hands as he stared between his knees at the floor.

Rey shrugged. "Well, considering that one of those is dead, and another would have looked after her own interests first, that narrows it down, doesn't it?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "I suppose, but the question still remains: why would Dooku want his apprentice dead?"

"Maybe it wasn't Dooku's idea."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if it came from Sidious?"

Anakin looked up. "That's an idea."

"So, we think Sidious told Dooku to kill her? Why? Why would he want one of their best assassins dead?" Obi-Wan asked. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Actually, it does. Ventress was getting too powerful for Sidious; that must be it. He wanted her dead to prevent her from becoming stronger than either him or Dooku. So he told Dooku to have her killed. Then," Rey bit her lip. "do you think Dooku told her? I mean, she did seem very desperate in that fight."

"Almost like she was trying to prove herself." Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't suppose it actually matters, though. Ventress is dead. We shouldn't have to deal with her any more." He bit back a laugh, turning to Rey. "There go your plans of setting her up with Quin."

"What?" Anakin asked as the other two dissolved into giggles. (Yes, Obi-Wan giggled.)

 _A/N: Thanks for your patience, everybody! I had a good time on vacation, in case you're curious. ;)_


	34. Dooku's Monster

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 33: Dooku's Monster**

Not long after the Battle of Sullust, the outpost on Devaron was massacred by an unknown entity ("'Unknown'?" Rey asked when she and Anakin heard the news. "Separatists aren't exactly 'unknown,' even though we don't know which ones did it."). The bodies were retrieved by a clone squad, and Rey, Obi-Wan, Adi Gallia, Saesee Tiin, and Plo Koon met them at the landing platform. "There were no survivors on Devaron," the leader began. "Everyone was killed, including Master Halsey and his padawan."

Adi Gallia mused, "In the past, only Dooku's assassin was capable of such an effort, but she was presumed dead at the battle of Sullust."

"Not everything is what it seems. There may be a new threat," Plo Koon suggested. "Someone or something has eluded us. Perhaps a newly appointed Sith Lord."

A shiver ran down Rey's spine at that, but Obi-Wan's next statement took it away (and the end brought it back). "This is not the work of a Sith Lord or a Jedi but a reckless, impulsive animal."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Soon after, Obi-Wan was summoned to meet with Yoda and Windu. Rey tagged along. "Master Yoda, you called for me?" Obi-Wan asked respectfully as he entered the room.

"Master Kenobi, show you something we must."

"We have recovered surveillance footage of the massacre on Devaron," Master Windu added before playing the footage.

The footage showed two or three people being killed by a massive being with horns wielding an ax. Rey didn't know what it was, but Obi-Wan sucked in a sharp breath. "Darth Maul alive? It can't be. I killed him myself."

"Correct you are, Obi-Wan," Yoda answered. "A creature of the same species he is, from Dathomir."

"Dathomir? The planet of the witches? I was under the impression that Darth Maul's home world was Iridonia."

"Dathomir is the planet where Maul was raised. Iridonia is where the rest of the males of the species dwell," Windu explained.

"Travel to Dathomir you must. Find the source of this threat you will."

Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgement, and he and Rey left for Dathomir after picking up Anakin.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Anakin insisted on flying. Rey insisted on copiloting. Obi-Wan sat behind them. As they entered the atmosphere, Anakin said, "There's the village."

They exited the ship, and Obi-Wan cautioned, "Be on guard. These men are ferocious warriors, and they will show no mercy."

"Don't worry. I won't start anything," Anakin reassured.

"I won't either!" Rey chimed in.

"Let me handle the negotiations," Obi-Wan muttered. As soon as he had said that, of course, they were surrounded by hostile Zabraks (Rey had found out that was the name of the species). "So much for not starting something."

"Hey, don't look at me," Anakin snapped back as the three circled up, lightsabers out.

"We didn't do anything this time!" Rey added.

"Don't harm them," Obi-Wan admonished.

"Don't tell me; tell them," Anakin argued. As the Zabraks continued to attack them with farm implements, Anakin suddenly pushed them away long enough to jump up beside their watching leader, placing his lightsaber to his neck. "Back off. We are not here to fight you. We're here for information."

"A man from your village murdered two Jedi. We need to know where he is," Obi-Wan continued.

"What makes you think he is one of ours?" the chief asked, his voice betraying his doubt that they had any proof.

"The Jedi Council knows he's from this village. We have seen him."

"Mother Talzin should know of his whereabouts. One of her women took him as a mate."

"I apologize for the intrusion then. Anakin, kindly release him, please."

Anakin reluctantly did as told, jumping down to join the other two. The three slowly began to leave, hearing the leader order, "Stop! Let them go."

Once they were some distance away, Anakin asked, "Who is this Mother Talzin?"

"She's the leader of an ancient order of witches, the Nightsisters."

"Great. Warrior-like men, witches, this place has all kinds of fun."

"I'm glad you think so," Obi-Wan muttered.

They flew their ship within the atmosphere toward the other side of the planet. As they landed, Obi-Wan said, "I don't know much of Mother Talzin, but I don't expect to be welcome here."

"You never know. I tend to be popular with the ladies."

"Well, with Padmé, at least." Obi-Wan winked as Rey chuckled. She soon sobered. "I don't like the feel of this place. We're leaving, soon, right?"

"As soon as we have the information we came for."

As they crept through the trees, Rey could sense other Force-sensitives (though untrained but Dark-aligned) surrounding them, but, before she could say anything, Obi-Wan said, "We've got company."

The women in red slipped out the trees, holding strange energy bow weapons. Three of them came up and took their lightsabers. "Jedi, come with us," one of them said. With hands reaching for the sky and blades pricking their backs, they were escorted to a woman sitting at a table, a glowing orb in front of her. "Master Kenobi."

"Mother Talzin, thank you for your hospitality," he answered as the Jedi sat down.

"I believe you have a question for me."

"Yes, you're right. We've had reports of a Dathomiri male on the loose. He's already killed two Jedi. Perhaps you know who he is?"

"Master Jedi, we have no control over the males. Our clan has been in exile for years."

"Don't play innocent with me, Mother. Everyone in the galaxy knows females are dominant on this planet. I do not believe anything happens here without your clan knowing about it."

"To think that the Jedi collect their facts from mere rumors."

"Rumors," Anakin sneered. "You call two dead Jedi rumors?" He pushed himself to his feet, Obi-Wan rising beside him and placing a hand on his arm.

Once Anakin was calm, Obi-Wan turned back to Mother Talzin. "This thing, this animal, is extremely dangerous. If you have any information about his whereabouts, you must tell us."

She began to wave her hands over the orb, calling, "Savage. Savage Oppress."

"Mother?"

"He is on Toydaria."

"Thank you." The three turned and sprinted off into the distance.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Once they landed on Toydaria, a Dark Side feeling alerted them to the fact that Savage Oppress was already there. They raced into the throne room, lightsabers at the ready. They saw the giant Zabrak, the Toydarian king slung unconscious over his shoulder. "At last," Obi-Wan breathed.

The Jedi charged forward, standing on floating platforms that brought them close to Oppress. Rey shuddered at the Darkness surrounding him. The boys had wound up on one platform, with her on another. Of course, he came toward her. She swung her lightsaber at him, being careful not to hit the Toydarian. Her caution put her at a disadvantage, and the monster wasn't going to ignore that. As her saber fell short of a blow that would hit the Toydarian, his came around before she could catch it, striking her in the side. She screamed as his strength flung her away. Anakin and Obi-Wan screaming her name was the last thing she heard before she slammed into the wall, pain stabbing her as everything went black.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Rey groaned as she woke up, her head splitting. "Anakin, she's awake!" she heard Obi-Wan say, followed by quick footsteps.

"Rey?" Anakin asked.

She forced her eyes open to see what looked like the medical center of the Temple, the two guys hovering over her. "Wh-what happened? Did you get him?"

"We did." Obi-Wan smiled. "He turned on us after he took you down, but I was able to distract him long enough for Anakin to sneak close enough to take him out."

She sighed. "Thank goodness. The Toydarian?"

"King Katuunko is fine, don't worry. But you need to rest now," Anakin said. "Yes, I know, hypocritical, but you do. Oh, and Padmé wants you to come by while we're on shore leave. Well, after you're better, I mean."

"I guess I'd better rest, then," she said, closing her eyes.


	35. Braids and Break-ins

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 34: Braids and Break-ins**

Once Rey was recovered, she made good on her promise and visited her grandmother. She was escorted in by one of Padmé's handmaidens (Rey thought her name was Teckla), who showed her into the sitting room, where Padmé was waiting. She came forward and hugged Rey as Teckla left. Rey eagerly returned it. "So…" Padmé said after they separated and sat down. "how do you feel about snooping around in Palpatine's holonet receiver?"

Rey blinked. "I…feel rather well about that. Is it legal?"

She held up a piece of paper. "I managed to convince enough Senators to at least suspect him enough to sign this search warrant; if a Jedi can get into his office, he can legally search and remove anything, including his holonet receiver."

Rey's eyes lit up before darkening. "But…I'm not exactly a real Jedi."

Padmé shrugged. "I think you're close enough. The law isn't very clear about what defines a Jedi. The war bends things so much that I think you count." She winked.

"So, when is this search going to take place?"

"Well, a few Senators and I asked Palpatine to meet us for lunch today so we could discuss some of the Senate's policies and a few bills up for debate right now."

Rey's mind whirled. "Meaning his office will be empty."

"Exactly. Think you can break in?"

Rey smirked. "Seriously? Of course I can."

"Thought so. Now," Padmé grinned. "we just have to kill a few hours before we go."

"Any ideas on how?"

"Well…yes. I've noticed that you don't do anything with your hair besides the one you're wearing now and the three buns. Do…can you not braid it?"

Rey shrugged. "No, never learned."

Padmé nodded. "Well, would you like to? I could teach you."

Rey cocked her head. "That…yes, that sounds good."

"Great. So, if you would take it down…" Padme gestured to one of the couches as she reached back toward her own hair, hanging loosely in messy curls for once. "The most important step in braiding (no matter which braid you're using) is to comb or brush your hair well. After you've done that, you can actually get started."

"Thankfully, my hair doesn't seem to tangle easily."

"That is wonderful. Mine is absolutely horrendous in the morning. Just ask Ani. He sometimes has to take my brush away when I get too frustrated."

"You? Frustrated? I can't imagine that!" Rey said, mostly because it was true.

"Oh, yes. Anyway, the first type of braid I'm going to teach you is the Alderaanian braid. You have to know how to do that one before you can learn any of the others. You start by dividing your hair into thirds, as evenly as possible, like this," Padmé demonstrated on her own hair; Rey clumsily copied. "keeping the two in the same hand separated by one of your fingers, and, after that, you take the right section and cross it over the middle one."

"So, you do this?" Rey asked as she tried to do the same thing Padmé was.

"Yes, but, especially with your short hair, you have to…oh, no, that can wait until after the next step. Next, you do the same with the left, cross it over the middle. Every time you cross a section over into the other hand, pull it tightly. That makes the braid itself tighter."

"Then I just do that until I run out of hair?" Rey asked, struggling to cross the increasingly shorter sections over each other.

"Yes, the Alderaanian braid is not ideal for someone with short hair like yours, but it's the foundation to learning the others."

Rey nodded, having finally run out of hair. "Now what?"

"Unbraid it and do it again."

"Really?"

"You have to do it until you can do it without thinking. Trust me, that will help in the future."

Rey sighed and did as she was told. She braided, unbraided, and rebraided her hair at least ten times until Padmé was satisfied. Finally, her grandmother declared that she was ready to learn the Nabooian braid, in which three small sections of hair were gathered from the top and front and were braided like the Alderaanian braid, but with extra portions being added at every iteration (this one was Rey's favorite). She did that one several times too, though not quite as many as the Alderaanian. The last braid Padmé taught Rey was the Coruscanti braid, which was a lot like the Nabooian braid, except that the side strands crossed under the center strand, not over them. Rey had a bit of trouble with that one, but she had finally gotten the hang of it when they had to leave for the Senate building.

Once they had reached it, Padmé took Rey to her office, handed her a datastick, and pulled up the schematics of the building. "Here's my office, where we are. We came in this way, so Palpatine's office is this way. It's the big one, here. Think you can find it?"

Rey scrutinized the map. "Yes. Yes, I can find it."

"Good. I have to go; wait about fifteen to twenty minutes to give us plenty of time to get out of here, all right?"

"I'll do that."

"I'll also let you know when we're on our way back. That way you can have time to get out."

"Good idea." A knock on Padmé's office door cut off any more words between the two ladies as Rey knelt behind the Senator's desk. "Good luck," Padmé whispered before opening the door and leaving with the other Senator.

Rey watched her chrono, waiting twenty-five minutes before slowly standing up and slipping through the halls of the Senate building. With the schematics she had just memorized, she found her way to the Chancellor's office. There was a guard outside, even though she could feel that Palpatine was gone. Rey tiptoed up to him, waving her hand and saying, "You're tired; you want to go to sleep."

He blinked. "I'm tired, and-" a yawn cut off his words momentarily. "I want to go to sleep." He slumped over, landing on the floor and snoring.

She blinked. _That was easy._ She then turned her attention to the door. It was locked, of course, and Padmé hadn't had any idea of how to get in if it was. Fortunately, Rey had the best lock-pick in existence: the Force. She carefully found the mechanism, activating it and unlocking the door before pushing it open.

The office was dark and empty. She crept to the computer, letting out the breath she was holding in. She sat down, bringing up the screen and keyboard. Her eyes closed, she focused on the keys, sensing which ones were required for the password. Her eyes snapped open once she was in. She attached the datastick before beginning to browse. Rey bit her lip, trying to find anything that Palpatine was hiding. Most of the files seemed to be legitimate Senate-related files. Finally, though, she saw a hidden set of files, buried within several layers of folders. Some were documents, which she opened and scanned quickly. Nearly all of them helped implicate him. Most of the rest of the files were holograms of conversations with Dooku. While Palpatine was hidden beneath a hood and his voice was altered, there was no doubt that it was him.

(Or maybe it was just that she knew it was him. That could be it.)

She copied all the documents and holograms to the datastick, biting her lip as the download started, a popup telling her that it would take several minutes. Just as the download finished, her commlink received a message. _On our way back,_ from Padmé. Rey let out a sigh of relief, disconnecting the datastick and shutting down the computer. She left the room, hesitating at the door to make sure that everything looked like it had when she entered. Satisfied, she slipped out, stopping to wake the guard and implant a false memory of staring at an empty hallway.

With all the stealth she had learned from Obi-Wan (not Anakin, definitely not Anakin), she made her way back to Padmé's office, unlocking her computer to hack into the security recording from Palpatine's office. She looped them to make it appear that no one had entered the office since the chancellor had left. Then, Rey plugged in the datastick, copying everything on Padmé's computer (she was not going to chance losing it). Silently admitting that she was paranoid, she plugged in the other six data sticks laying on the desk, copying the information onto them, as well. She started when the door opened, relieved to see her grandmother. "Did you get anything?" Padmé asked after the door was firmly closed.

"Oh, I got plenty. I've already copied it to your computer, and now I'm putting it other datasticks. I am not going to risk any accidents happening."

"Wonderful. And that's a good idea."

"Here." Rey handed Padmé the original. "Do you mind if I take one or two back to the Temple?"

"Not at all; in fact, that sounds perfect. I'll get this to as many Senators as I need to so that we can get a warrant for his arrest."

"You think it'll work?"

"I think so."

Rey grinned in response, standing up and sliding two datasticks into pouches on her belt. Before she could say anything, her commlink went off. "Hello?"

"Rey? We have a new mission. The Council is sending us, Anakin, and Ahsoka to respond to a strange distress call in the middle of nowhere."

She raised her eyebrows. "Sounds…fun. I'll be right there." She hung up, hugging her grandmother. "I'll make sure to hide the datasticks before we leave."

"Good. Be careful."

"You, too." Rey then snuck out of the Senate building.

 _A/N: It's still Friday for me! I know this was late, but school has started back for me, so updates might be sporadic from here on out._

 _Sorry to all the boys reading this fic for the lengthy description of braiding; I really just wanted to work my SW names for real-world braids into a fic. Speaking of, who knows what the real counterparts of the braids are called?_

 _Oh, and the adjective forms of the planets are accurate according to Wookieepedia. I know, that confuses me, too. Especially Nabooian…I thought it was Nubian. But no, apparently not._

 _So, the breaking into Palpatine's office will pay off in about four chapters…who knows what's coming next, based on the description of the mission?_

 _Also, if you're a Marvel fan in addition to a SW fan, please go vote in the poll on my profile!_


	36. An Interesting Place

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 35: An Interesting Place**

 **Or**

 **The Craziest Planet They've Been to Yet With the Craziest Residents They've Met So Far**

When they arrived at the coordinates the distress signal had come from, they were supposed to meet with a cruiser, just in case it was a trap. Anakin contacted the ship, since it was nowhere in sight. "Rex? Rex, do you read me? We're at the rendezvous point awaiting your arrival. Where are you?"

"Sir, we are at the rendezvous point and there's no sign of you on our scanners," was the captain's response.

"Oh, come on. That's impossible." Anakin turned from Rex to address Obi-Wan. "Something's wrong. We're at the exact coordinates where the distress signal originated, but there's nothing here. Rex is at the exact same coordinates and he's not here."

"This is getting interesting," Obi-Wan answered.

"Unable to find you." Rex's hologram grew static before disappearing. "Where are you, sir?"

"Something's blocking the signal," Ahsoka pointed out.

All of a sudden, everything went dark. "Not good," Obi-Wan said as everyone started pressing buttons to try to figure out what had happened.

"Everything's dead, even the life support," Ahsoka said after a few moments.

"Can I say it? I'm going to say it. I have a bad feeling about this," Rey muttered.

"Hmm, this is really strange," Anakin observed, right before everything came back online.

"There," Obi-Wan said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as well. "See? Nothing to be concerned about after all."

"Then what's that?" Ahsoka asked, pointing straight ahead at a space station that had not been there a few moments before. The ship began moving, when no one had touched the controls. "It's pulling us towards it."

"Everyone, strap yourselves in," Obi-Wan ordered, as light began pouring out of the space station. "Looks as though we're going for a ride."

The ship flew straight into the light, blinding the passengers.

 _ **/*O*W*S***_

The next thing Rey knew, they were all waking up with groans, Anakin saying, "I must have blacked out."

"Then who landed the shuttle?" Obi-Wan rightfully asked.

"I didn't," Rey said, at the same time as Ahsoka's, "Not me."

"Where are we?" Anakin asked.

"Some kind of organic mass. All of our readings indicate that it's bigger than an asteroid. But at least the atmosphere is breathable," Ahsoka said optimistically.

"Well, this is getting more unusual by the minute. I can't even lock down where in the galaxy we are…or if we are even in our own galaxy," Obi-Wan stated.

"Out of our galaxy?" Rey asked. "That seems…very incredulous."

"Yes, but we could be. Since we all blacked out, who know what happened?"

"Well, the ship's systems seem fine, but, for whatever reason, nothing's working," Anakin said.

"Wonderful. So we're stranded," Rey replied gloomily.

They all filed out of the ship, trying to figure out where they were. "Hey! I saw something," Ahsoka pointed out. "A reflection, up on the hill."

"I don't see anything," Obi-Wan answered, looking through macrobinoculars.

"What? What? Did you hear that?" Anakin suddenly asked.

"I didn't hear anything."

"Are you the one?" a female voice queried.

"I heard that," Rey murmured, as Obi-Wan greeted, "Hello."

Anakin got to the point. "Who are you?"

"I am Daughter. Are you the one?"

"Uh, the one what?" Anakin, whom she was seemingly addressing, asked.

"I will take you to him." She avoided the question entirely.

"Him, who?" Ahsoka questioned.

"Did you bring us here?" Obi-Wan added.

"Only he can help you. There is little time. Follow me. We must have shelter by nightfall," the strange woman continued her riddles.

"And we thought the planet was strange. How about this one?" Anakin muttered wryly.

"We'll be fine as long as we stay together," Obi-Wan reminded them.

"Yeah, not wandering off alone," Rey agreed. They began following "Daughter."

A little while later, Obi-Wan asked, "Have you noticed the seasons seem to change with the time of day?"

"Yeah," Anakin said.

"And there are no animals," Ahsoka added.

"And you sense it?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.

"Mm-hmm, since we arrived. The Force is very strong."

"An intersection unlike anything I've ever felt before. Be wary."

"Don't worry about that," Rey said. "Oh, and I feel it, too."

"Excuse me," Anakin asked the lady. "Who are you taking us to?"

"The Father, of course."

"Of course," the Padawans murmured simultaneously.

"And what exactly are you?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"We are the ones who guard the power. We are the middle, the beginning, and the end," she replied.

"Glad she cleared that up for us," Anakin mumbled.

As they walked, the scenery changed from lush and green to dying and red. "Hey! Look out!" Anakin called. A rockslide above them sent Rey and Anakin shoving Daughter ahead of them and Obi-Wan tumbling off the edge of the cliff.

As Anakin went to help Daughter to her feet, she jerked away. "It is forbidden for you to touch me."

"Sorry. I was just saving your life."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Yes, and you won't tell us what just happened, will you?"

"That was my brother's work. You are in great danger. Wait for me. Do not leave this place."

"Hey! Wait!" both Skywalkers cried as she turned and walked away.

Anakin's commlink went off, and Obi-Wan's welcome voice came through. "Anakin, Rey, are you there? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, but our friend here has run off! Go back to the ship and try sending another distress call. I'll follow her and find out how to get off this rock," Anakin replied.

"And if this is a trap?"

"Then I'm not gonna wait around to find out."

"Anakin, stop! Wait for us to find another way around and meet you."

Ignoring Obi-Wan, he switched off his comm. "Come on, Rey. Let's go."

The two of them raced over unfamiliar ground, following the (strongly Light) sense of the woman. Finally, they could see a tower looming over them. "Whoever we're looking for is in that monastery," Anakin realized.

"Well, then, let's get to it. The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll have answers."

They finally skidded into the large, open room. It really resembled a throne room. At the other end of the large room, an old man sat in a meditative pose. They dropped down, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Finally, the man's eyes snapped open. "Welcome, my friends."

"What is it that you want from us?" Anakin demanded.

"Not the rest, just you. I want you to learn the truth about who you really are, one that maybe you have known all along, one you must believe in order to fulfill your destiny."

"Enough with the riddles, old man. Tell us what's going on here."

"As you can see, there is nowhere else to go. It is late. You will be my guests tonight."

"And we don't have any choice in the matter, either, I suppose?" Rey muttered.

She received no answer, not that she expected one, and the two of them were shown into rooms where they could stay. Rey settled down and closed her eyes.

"Hello, Rey."

She raised her eyebrows. "Hi, Grandpa. What are you doing here?"

"Giving you advice. Rey, this is the breaking point."

"What?"

"Before you leave this planet, you will know if Anakin has changed enough to make a difference."

Rey's eyes widened. "Oh. That."

"Yes. That."

"How will I know?"

"He will be tempted by the Son to fall to the Dark Side after a vision of himself becoming Darth Vader. If he does, you need more time. That's what I did."

"If he doesn't, I'm ready to make a move?"

"Yes, you are."

"Wait…can't you just tell me? I mean, do you already know?"

"No, because no. I can't see the new history before it unfolds, just like you, sweetheart."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway."

"Now, the Father wants to speak with you, once he's done talking to Anakin. You might want to make your way back down to his area."

"Will do. Love you, Grandpa."

"I love you, too, Rey."

Rey's eyes snapped open, and she began creeping back down to where she could sense Father and Anakin. The Father was saying, "When news reached me that the Chosen One had been found, I needed to see for myself."

"The Chosen One is a myth."

"Is it? I should very much like to know. Why don't we find out together? Pass one test, and I shall know the truth. Then you and your friends may leave."

"What kind of test?"

"You will see. Surely you are still tired, especially after such a distressing vision."

Anakin sighed. "I'm not getting any more answers from you, am I?" When he received no reply, Anakin left the room. He was still somewhat wound up, so he didn't notice Rey lurking nearby. She slipped into the room. "You are not supposed to be here, are you, child?" he asked softly.

She blinked. "What-what do you mean?"

"You needn't try to hide it; the Force swirls around you strangely, as if you are in the wrong place. Or is it time?"

"How-how did you…?"

"The Force reveals much to me."

"So…has it told you how I got here?"

"No. You do not know?"

"No. Look, all I know is I woke up before my parents are even born."

"The Force does its work strangely sometimes, and not even those as powerful as my family can tell how."

"Wonderful."

"There is no record of this type of even that I am aware. Tell me…" He gave her a deep, knowing look. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I just asked you, so how should I know?"

"I didn't ask how, I asked why. Why are you here?"

"Oh. I think…to prevent a great tragedy. To keep a powerful Jedi from falling to the Dark Side."

"Playing with history can be dangerous."

"Yes, I know, but I'm being careful. And…well, to be honest, I'm not sure that the world can get too much worse than it was before I left. And…as long as I'm here and know what's going to happen, with great power come great responsibility, right?"

"You must act as you see best, of course," he answered slowly. "Now, you should rest more, also."

Rey nodded and left in silence.

A few hours later, the Father called through the Force for Anakin and Rey. They met up in the hall. "I wonder what he's got up his sleeve," Anakin muttered.

"Who knows?"

They walked into a courtyard. The Father sent Anakin to the center of the area, keeping Rey beside him. "It is time to face your guilt and know the truth."

A dark beast gripped Ahsoka's arm in one claw, while another, glowing yellow and green, held Obi-Wan off the ground by his shoulders. "Whatever he wants, don't do it, Master!" Ahsoka called.

"Let them go. I will not play your games!" Anakin declared.

"Oh, but I think you will. I have ordered my children to kill your friends. The question is, which one will you choose to save: Your master or your apprentice? You must now release the guilt and free yourself by choosing."

"What are you doing? Stop this!" Rey cried, grabbing at his arm, only to be thrown back by an unseen energy (the Force, obviously). She lay on the ground, unable to rise, watching the proceedings below her.

"No!"

"Their powers are too strong for us, Anakin. Save Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan urged.

"Let them go."

"Only you can make my children release them."

"Anakin, the planet is the Force," Obi-Wan realized. "Use it."

"You will let them go! Down! On your knees!" As Anakin shouted, he pulled the beasts down, onto their knees, making them release the two Jedi. When they were fully prone on the ground, they morphed into human forms.

"And now you see who you truly are. Only the Chosen One could tame both my children."

Rey scrambled to her feet and raced down to join the others. "I have taken your test," Anakin was saying. "Now fulfill your promise and let us go."

"Ah, but first you must understand the truth. Now, all of you, leave us."

Rey glanced at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, who didn't seem any more pleased about that than she was. "Do not trust him," Snips whispered through her teeth.

"You think?" he hissed back.

"I said leave us."

The three Jedi and the Son and Daughter walked away, with Rey glancing over her shoulder at the two men behind her. "Anakin can hold his own, you know," Obi-Wan reminded her.

"I know, but…this place…it unnerves me."

"I think it unnerves all of us," Ahsoka muttered.

Thankfully, Anakin didn't agree to whatever the Father was pressuring him into, and, soon, the three of them were getting into the ship. "Ready to get out of here?" Obi-Wan asked the hesitating Anakin.

 _So…I wonder when the thing that Grandpa was talking about is going to happen? We're leaving…_ Rey groaned. _I have a bad feeling…._

 _A/N: Oh, look, I'm alive!_

 _P.S. The Spiderman reference was totally intentional. ;)_


	37. Darkness Falls on Mortis

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 36: Darkness Falls on Mortis**

As Rey and Obi-Wan got the ship in the air so they could leave Mortis, Anakin was taking a break and sleeping. He began thrashing around, so Ahsoka woke him. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"Something like that," he answered.

"If you're done napping, we could use a little help here," Obi-Wan said dryly.

"I'm coming," Anakin huffed.

Grunts of struggle from behind him made Anakin turn as the cockpit doors slid shut. A few moments later, he slammed back into the cockpit, shoving Obi-Wan out of the pilot's seat. "What's going on?" he asked.

"The Son took Ahsoka."

"What in the blazes are you talking about?"

"Move. Let me fly." Anakin began piloting the ship through tall rock formations, deftly and yet recklessly, bringing back to Rey's memories of flying the _Falcon_ through the downed Star Destroyer. Rey helped with a tight turn a few times, but she mostly let Anakin do the flying.

As the Son's odd flying form, Ahsoka gripped tightly in his claws, disappeared from view, Anakin froze, the ship drifting through fog. Suddenly, a glowing green orb appeared in from of them. Obi-Wan, who was standing behind Anakin, screamed, "Look out!" grappling for the controls for a split second, throwing Anakin off course. The ship crashed onto the ground. "I didn't think you saw it."

"It was a giant tower. Of course I saw it," Anakin snapped. They climbed out, glancing around. "Any sign of him?"

"No. But I think it's obvious where he's taken her," Obi-Wan murmured, staring at the tower they had narrowly dodged.

"Yep, pretty clear," Rey agreed. "Why else would there be a gigantic tower out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"We must hurry."

"Anakin, this wasn't a mistake. He brought us here for a reason. We must not get involved. Any conflict here could have dramatic repercussions for the universe at large," Obi-Wan urged.

"I don't care. He's too powerful for Ahsoka. I won't leave her alone."

"We are in the middle of something we don't truly understand. We'd be wise to confer with the Father first."

"There's no time."

"This is what he wants, to divide us."

"It's my fault he took her."

"You must feel how strong this part of the planet is with the Dark Side. The Father will know what to do."

"He can't help us."

"OK….wait. How is it your fault, Anakin?" He ignored her, walking off toward the tower. Rey glanced at Obi-Wan. "Want me to go with you or make sure he doesn't die of stupidity?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, despite the gravity of the situation. "You'd better keep an eye on him."

She nodded and took off running to catch up with Anakin. "Care for some company?" she asked as she finally came even with him.

He shrugged. "Why not."

"She'll be all right, Anakin. You've trained her well."

"She can't fight him."

"I never said that. But she can hold on until we get there."

"Maybe so."

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes. Finally, Rey asked, "So, do you still think that we should be wary of Palpatine?"

"Yes, I do. He's only gotten more suspicious and power-hungry recently. Or maybe he's always been like that. I might have just been blind to it. I…I don't know if you noticed this, but when I was younger, like when you first showed up, I was brash, arrogant, and reckless, not to mention stupid."

"No, not you," Rey drawled sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, and you know it. Anyway, since you came…I don't know. Something's different. I feel…calmer, I guess. More steady."

"Well, I don't know if it was me, but I'm glad to have helped if it was." She hesitated. "Anakin…"

"Yes?"

"I-" She stopped. "We're here."

"What were you going to say?"

"I-I don't-I'll tell you later. Come on; let's find that Padawan of yours." The two started climbing up the tower from the outside. They had just climbed onto the flat base when they spotted her, sitting in a meditative pose.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka, it's me. You're safe now. Let's go."

"Are you proud of me, Master?" she asked.

Rey's brow furrowed. Something was wrong; she knew her. Her hand tightened around her lightsaber.

"What? Uh, of course, Snips. Course I'm proud of you. Now, let's get out of here."

"He's right, right about everything. You must join him. He only wants what's best for the universe." She stood and turned around. Her skin was shot through with black webbing, and her eyes were a brilliant yellow.

"Uh, Ahsoka?" Rey asked as Anakin said, "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"Always with the criticism, Master. Never really believing in me, trusting me. Well, I don't need you anymore." She had turned her back to them again.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka, listen to me. He has done something to you. Snap out of it. This isn't you, Ahsoka."

"Isn't it? I feel more like myself than I ever have. He asked me to give you a message. He said if you don't join him, he will kill me." She let out a high-pitched, unnatural sounding laugh at that. Rey withdrew her lightsaber, fingering the ignition button.

"I won't let him."

"Then you will be forced to kill me." She leaped forward, one of her lightsabers lit and in her hand. They both slid backward, dodging her erratic swings and overzealous attacks as best they could, not wanting to hurt her.

"I don't want to fight you, Ahsoka."

"We don't want to fight you," Rey added. Not-Ahsoka suddenly lashed out at her with the Force, causing Rey to fly backward. _I think he made her more powerful when he did…whatever it was that he did._

Anakin was on the ground, his lightsaber several feet away. "And now the student will kill the master."

She charged at him, but he managed to summon his lightsaber in time to block her strike. "You're getting ahead of yourself, aren't you, Snips?"

"Don't call me that. I hate it when you call me that!" Rey picked herself up off the ground and ran to stand beside Anakin, just as Obi-Wan came out of the tower ( _Wait, when did he get here?_ ) to join them. "Three Jedi. Finally, a challenge," not-Ahsoka sneered, igniting her other lightsaber and again wildly coming at them.

"Any suggestions? Anakin asked as he shoved her away.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, withdrawing some kind of knife. "We cut her free."

"What is that?"

"It can kill the Son."

Rey shrugged. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Where did you get that? Give it to me," not-Ahsoka called in a strange voice, almost seeming mixed with the Son's.

Suddenly, the Son and the Daughter came flying out of one of the tower's windows. All four of the Jedi darted away so they wouldn't be crushed. "So glad you could make it to our little party, Father," the Son said, as he started shooting red lightning ( _like what Dooku did,_ Rey's memory supplied) at the Father.

"You will stop this."

"You are too weak for me, old man. You mean nothing to me anymore." He stood over his father, his Force-lightning raining down on him.

"Anakin, now!" Obi-Wan called, throwing the knife toward him, but not-Ahsoka intercepted it, taking it straight to the Son. Even as he gloated, "Everything has transpired exactly as I planned," Rey was screaming, "You threw it, Obi-Wan? Really?"

"You showed them the altar?" the Father asked the Daughter.

"I am sorry, Father. I didn't know how else to stop him."

"Give it to me, child," the Son urged not-Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka, no!" Anakin shouted as Rey ran to tackle her or at least do something.

Before she could, however, not-Ahsoka dropped the knife into the Son's hand. "Thank you," he purred. "Your usefulness has come to an end." He tapped her on the forehead, and she collapsed to the ground lifelessly.

"No!" Anakin screamed, as he joined Rey in the mad dash. The Son flung them back, saying to his father, "The Jedi have brought me the dagger, and you have brought yourself. Now, Father, you will die." As he lowered the knife, the Daughter ran in between them, crying, "Father!"

The Son stumbled backward in shock, shouting, "Why?" leaping up and flying off. All three Jedi ran to check on Ahsoka, who was showing no signs of being alive.

"My daughter. What have I done?" they heard the Father say.

"Do not hate him, Father. It is his nature."

"No. All is lost. The balance has been broken. I thought by bringing you here, I would-" He didn't finish. "But I have destroyed everything."

"Can you help her?" Anakin pleaded.

"There is no light. The evil has been unleashed, and the Dark Side shall consume her."

"You must help her," Anakin begged.

"I cannot undo what is done. There is no hope."

"Yes, there is. There's always hope," he cried in desperation.

The Daughter touched her father's face and pointed to Ahsoka. "Then let my daughter's last act be to breathe life into your friend." The Father stood in the space between the two dying women, Anakin kneeling in front of him, Rey and Obi-Wan standing by, watching. Anakin placed a finger on the Daughter's forehead and one on Ahsoka's. Rey gasped, covering her eyes and her mouth as pure light flooded from the Daughter, through Anakin, and into Ahsoka. For a few moments, nothing happened, and they all thought Ahsoka was gone. Then she sat up and started coughing. Anakin immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, Snips."

"What's going on?" she asked weakly.

"Uh, not much. It's good to see you." He helped her stand, and Obi-Wan handed her lightsaber to her.

"As the balance in this world crumbles, so shall war escalate in your galaxy. As my son has descended into the Dark Side, so have the Sith gained strength."

"We will stop your son."

"No. You must go now. He needs your ship to leave the planet. You must leave before he can take it."

"What about you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I shall mourn all that I have done and all that is yet to be."

"Well, that's not at all ominous," Rey muttered as the four of them walked away, leaving the mourning Father behind them. _We're still not going to be able to get away, are we?_

 _A/N: So…I'm gonna try to push myself to finish this before TLJ comes out. I might be able to do it…I dunno, but I want to get it done by then._


	38. The Beginning of the End

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 37: The Beginning of the End**

As Rey and Ahsoka worked on fixing the ship, they could hear the boy's conversation in the cockpit above them. "I'm getting a little tired of how unreliable the weather is here," Obi-Wan muttered.

"Some might say that's part of the appeal," Anakin answered.

"You did well, Anakin. How do you feel?"

"I'm not sure we're doing the right thing by leaving. The son is consumed by the dark side."

"And if we stay, we may be used to the Dark Side's advantage."

Ahsoka popped up out of the access trapdoor. "Well, you want the bad news or the really bad news?"

"Well, let's try the bad news, laced with a little optimism," Obi-Wan replied.

"We've got two cracked shilo pins, a busted power converter, the engines should be fired twice to dump debris, and the backup vents need charging."

"Sounds terribly downbeat. Can it be fixed?"

"I can reroute the primary initiator, weld the dampening vents, and that might give us enough power to leave the atmosphere. After that, I have no guarantees she'll hold together.

"We'll take our chances. Better than staying here."

The boys left the ship, and Rey hesitated before climbing out and following in time to see Anakin leaving. "He's going to talk to the Father, isn't he?"

"Yes. Are you going to follow him?"

She paused. "Not this time. I think he needs to do this alone." She shrugged. "Besides, Ahsoka could use my help."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Several hours passed, and Rey and Ahsoka had almost finished repairing the ship. Rey heard a soft snore from behind her. She turned to see Ahsoka asleep on her feet. She smiled as Obi-Wan approached. "Might I suggest less sleeping and a little more work?"

"Sorry, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka muttered, blinking rapidly.

"Here." He handed down two steaming cups of caf. "This should help. We need to change plans. You must focus on the firing drives. Disengage them."

"But we're almost finished putting this junk heap back together, and now-"

"Just do as I say. We don't have much time."

"You're the boss."

Rey glanced after Obi-Wan. "Can you handle this?"

She sighed. "Think they need you?"

"Don't they always?" Rey asked with a smirk.

Ahsoka laughed and waved her away. "Go on. I got this."

"Thanks." Rey darted out of the ship in time to Obi-Wan tell the Father, "I don't like this. What have you done?"

"I have done nothing. I am merely letting the will of the Force take shape."

"Where has he gone?"

"To the well of the Dark Side."

"Anakin has gone to confront your son, hasn't he?"

"Deep within this planet all that is dark is channeled."

"And how do I get there?"

"You cannot interfere."

"Don't listen to him," Rey said, pulling Obi-Wan toward the speeder. "Let's go."

"You most certainly should not interfere!" the Father exclaimed in a voice filled with ancient power.

The Skywalker in Rey refused to cower. "I have to! That's why I'm here! I wouldn't be here otherwise!"

"Look after the ship. We're going to find Anakin," Obi-Wan called to Ahsoka over his shoulder as the two sped off.

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Rey and Obi-Wan arrived in what was basically a volcano and saw Anakin dangling over a pit of lava. Rey jumped off as Obi-Wan stopped the speeder. She dove for Anakin's hand, grabbing him by the wrist. "I've got you," she said. "Just hold on!"

Obi-Wan joined them, and they pulled Anakin up. "What happened?"

"The Son showed me what he claimed was the future. I don't know if it really was or not, but he said to change it, I had to join him. I couldn't do that, no matter what. So he threw me toward the lava and ran off."

A huge grin broke out on Rey's face, even as she grabbed her comm. "Ahsoka?"

"Yeah, Rey?"

"Disable the ship."

"What? I just fixed it!"

"I know, I know. But I think the Son might be coming after it. Disable it, and we'll pick you up on our way back to the Father."

"Ok…Is Anakin all right?"

"Oh, he's better than that. You'll see. Just hurry."

"I will."

Rey turned back to the boys. "Let's go."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

They met up with Ahsoka about half-way to the monastery, where they immediately went. The Father met them there, and, before he said anything, he reached out and tapped Anakin on the forehead. He slumped over, unconscious.

"What did you do?" Obi-Wan cried as the girls gasped.

Anakin awoke almost immediately with a groan, however. "What happened?"

"My son broke the laws of time and showed you what you should never have seen."

"I don't remember."

"I have erased that time. We shall never know."

Rey's eyebrows rose. _Well, Ben and I do, but that's completely beside the point._

"Are you all right?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I think so, but we must stop the Son once and for all."

"We have little time, and you'll get only one chance. You know what you must do," the Father said to Anakin.

"How quaint, my own personal send-off." The Son floated down to their level.

"I ask you one last time. Do not leave, my son."

"You have no power to keep me, old man. You must understand by now, this planet is not my destiny."

"What you will do will destroy all that is good. I beg you, restrain yourself and stay."

"I cannot."

"And then it shall be. I love you, my son."

"Do you?"

Anakin and Rey took that as their signal, rushing the Son. He quickly batted away their strokes and sent them both flying. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka attacked him immediately after, but they, too, were thrown away. However, their distraction gave the Father the opportunity he needed. He summoned the knife from his son's belt.

"What? You're going to kill me now?" the Son demanded incredulously.

"I held hope that you could resist the Dark Side. But I see now, there is no going back." He held the knife to his own chest before driving it through.

"Father. No! What have you done? It did not have to be this way."

"Yes, my child, it did. You and I are tied together, and your strength runs through me. This way, I take your power."

"Please, don't die."

"I always knew there was good in you."

Anakin rose and came up behind the Son, thrusting his lightsaber through his chest. "And so you have betrayed me, Father." He collapsed, dead.

"It is done," Anakin said.

"And now I die, my heart broken, but knowing the role you will play."

"And what is that?"

"You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to this world. Stay on this path, and you will do it again for the galaxy. But beware your heart." As the Father fell down and died, his body disappeared, and the world started crumbling around them. A bright light flashed, and, the next thing any of them knew, they were on their ship, with a hologram from Rex talking to them. "General Skywalker, come in!"

"We read you, Rex. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, sir, standing by. We were worried. You were off the scopes there for a moment."

"A moment? We've been gone more than a moment, Rex."

"Sir, I don't understand. You'll need to explain."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. We're coming in now."

As Anakin piloted them into the cruiser, Rey's heart pounded in excitement, and the only thought running through her mind was, _It's time! We can do it now! We can end Palpatine!_


	39. The End of the Sith

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 38: The End of the Sith**

Rey could hardly contain her excitement as she commed Anakin, asking him to meet her at Ben's cell. He agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly, and she set off. She was there a few minutes before him and sat down to tell Ben what was happening. "It's time, Ben."

He blinked, astonished. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Grandpa told me so."

"Oh, well, if Grandpa told you..."

Anakin walked in just then. "What's this about, Rey?"

She and Ben exchanged a glance before she laughed nervously. "You're going to want to sit down."

"What did Ahsoka do this time?" he asked warily as he lowered himself onto the bed.

"It wasn't Ahsoka..." Rey trailed off, not really sure how to say it.

Ben did not have that problem, apparently. "It was the Force. It brought us here."

"To the Temple?"

"No...to this time period. Rey and I came here from fifty-four years in the future."

Anakin's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, great. If you freak out about that, I know how you're going to take the rest of our news," Rey muttered.

"What's the rest of your news?" he asked warily.

"Well...Ben and I...we're kind of...your grandchildren."

"Say what?"

"Your son is Rey's father, and your daughter is my mother. Not too difficult to figure out."

"Well...I see why you wanted me to sit down."

"Yes. It's a bit overwhelming, I know."

"So, do you have any idea why you're here?" Anakin asked after absorbing that information.

"Well..." Rey glanced at Ben, who nodded. "We think we were sent to stop you from falling to the Dark Side."

"What!" Anakin shouted, leaping to his feet. "I would never-"

Rey slapped her hand over his mouth. "Keep it down, would you? You would, and you did."

"But why?"

"To save Grandmother's life," Ben answered. "You had a vision that she would die in childbirth. You...trusted the wrong person."

"Palpatine?"

"How'd you guess?" he asked dryly.

"Rey's casting suspicion on him helped."

"I suppose I did that quite a bit. I just needed to make sure you would side with Obi-Wan over him."

"That would be good to be sure of." He stopped momentarily. "So, now what do we do?"

Rey grinned. "Well, thanks to Grandma and her arrest warrant, I say we remove him from power."

"Wait, you have an arrest warrant for him?"

Rey grinned. "Grandma's no more fond of him than I am."

"But on what grounds?" Ben asked. "You can't just arrest someone because you don't like him."

"No, but when you have evidence of him conspiring against the Republic, that makes everything a lot easier."

Anakin blinked. "And how did Padmé come by this?"

"I got it for her."

"I don't know if I want to ask how you came by it," Ben muttered.

"I broke into his office, of course."

"Of course?" they both exclaimed incredulously.

"Yeah. I had a warrant; she got that for me, too."

"You know what? Let's not get into this now." Ben sighed. "Let's just figure out what we're going to do now." Rey started to speak, but he cut her off. "In more specific terms than just kill him. Do you have an actual plan?"

She laughed. "Surprisingly for someone with our genes, yes. We get Master Windu, Master Yoda, and Obi-Wan, and we give him a six-on-one fight. Sound good?"

The boys exchanged glances and shrugged. "Sure, let's do that," Anakin agreed. "How much of this are you telling them?"

"Time travel. That's it."

"And that I'm not a Sith?" Ben asked.

"Of course." She cleared get throat. "Now, Anakin, you take Ben to Obi-Wan's and my quarters. I'll track down Masters Yoda and Windu. That work?"

"Sounds good to me."

 _ ***O*W*S***_

Less than a half-hour later, the six were gathered. "What's this about, Rey?" Obi-Wan asked.

"This is about stopping the Sith Lord and saving the Republic," she answered calmly.

"What's he doing here?" Master Windu demanded, glaring at Ben.

"Because we need his help. He's on our side; he doesn't want Sidious to take over the galaxy."

"Wait. Ahead of ourselves, we are. Stop the Sith Lord, we cannot, unless know his identity, we do," Master Yoda pointed out.

"But we do know his identity," Rey said. "Senator Amidala and I did a bit of completely legal snooping and found evidence that Chancellor Palpatine is Sidious. So she procured an arrest warrant for us to use. Is anyone going to help us with that, or are Anakin, Ben, and I alone?"

"Well, if it's a legal action, then I'm certainly on board. Let's get rid of the Sith once and for all," Obi-Wan stated.

"I don't think any of us will argue," Master Windu agreed.

"That's great. Will someone please give me a lightsaber?" Ben asked.

*O*W*S*

After Ben was armed, the six of them went to the Senate building. When they arrived at Palpatine's office, the door slid open. The chancellor was sitting at his desk. He rose when they entered. "To what do I owe this honor, Master Jedi?"

"You are under arrest, Chancellor," Master Windu stated.

"What? This is preposterous! On what charge?"

"High treason, you have committed. This, you know, I believe, Darth Sidious," Yoda answered, drawing his lightsaber.

"This will never go through the Senate. I am the Senate!"

"Not yet," Master Windu replied.

"And you never will be. The Senate has authorized your removal," Rey added.

He growled and summoned his lightsaber. He lunged toward the Jedi, Rey clearly his first target. Ben whirled to be in front of her, blocking his strike. "Don't touch her," he snapped.

"Um, I can take care of myself, you know," Rey informed him, slamming her lightsaber into Palpatine's.

"Yes, but your dad would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

"That's...probably fair."

The room was lit up in shades of yellow, green, blue, purple, and red. Lightsabers hummed as they sliced through the air. Unconsciously, the Jedi found themselves pairing up. One Jedi would block, and the other, respond with a quick attack. Obi-Wan and Anakin were together, and of course Ben stuck by Rey's side, which left Windu and Yoda as a team. Obi-Wan, Rey, and Yoda played defense, protecting Anakin, Ben, and Windu as they went on the offensive.

The strategy worked well. Palpatine was driven back against the wall, slashing desperately to save his own life. Anakin got in a hit. Palpatine screamed in anger, shooting lightening out of his fingers. Windu got the brunt of the blow. He staggered back, screaming. Palpatine made a vicious stab at him, getting him right in the heart. He fell to the ground, limp and lifeless.

Even though not everyone there had been extremely fond of Master Windu, still, shouts of denial and anger echoed throughout the office. Rey, Anakin, and Ben (the ever-impulsive Skywalker gene surfacing), lunged for the Sith, green, blue, and yellow working in tandem to take out their common opponent. Their enthusiasm paid off as they pierced their opponent in the chest, stomach, and neck. He gasped, coughed, and tumbled to the floor, joining his victim on the floor.

Rey started gasping out laughter, her shock and gladness spilling out in joyful sounds. Everyone else had looks of relief, though they were mingled with grief for Master Windu. Rey looked around at her comrades, her smile fading to confusion as a blue glow started to obstruct her vision. She glanced over at Ben, the only one she could see clearly. His eyes were wide, and he grappled for her hand. She gripped it and turned back to the others. "Rey!" Anakin screamed, his voice far away and fading.

"Anakin!" she called, but the Jedi disappeared in the bright blue light, and she couldn't see anything else.


	40. Epilogue

**One Wrong Step**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Epilogue**

Rey blinked and groaned, opening her eyes as the light faded. "I'm getting tired of doing this," she muttered.

"I am, as well," Ben agreed from next to her.

She looked around, realizing they were in a garden as opposed to the snowy landscape they had left. "Well, something's different."

"I think our changes impacted our lives in the future."

"I have an extra set of memories now. You?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "I'm your Padawan. Wasn't the last thing you said in our original timeline that you wanted to teach me the ways of the Force?"

His chuckles joined hers. "It was, wasn't it?"

She hugged him. "Well, I'm glad you're training me. Now that everything's different, I mean."

He gently kissed her forehead. "Me too, Rey. Me too."

A loud commotion approached them. They separated in time to see two men rushing toward them, one familiar to Rey and one familiar to Ben. "Finn!" she called happily.

"Poe!" Ben added, though with a touch of guilt on his face. Rey guessed that they had met under unpleasant circumstances in the original timeline.

"What are you two doing?" Poe asked as Finn gave Rey a light kiss. "Luke and Myra's anniversary party starts in five minutes, and the guests of honor's daughter and nephew are missing!"

"Right...sorry. We're coming," Rey said, wrapping one arm around her cousin and the other around her boyfriend. The four made their way into the courtyard where their family and friends were waiting. Rey couldn't keep her smile (and a few tears) from showing as she saw her parents for the first time (sort of) since she was five years old. Han (Uncle Han, her other memories corrected) was there, and Rey could swear that she saw a glimmer in Ben's eyes, but she didn't say anything. No words were really needed. She just squeezed his side tightly, letting him know she was there for him.

Beside Uncle Han was Aunt Leia, and behind them her grandmother-Padmé-stood. Next to her father was Obi-Wan (her maternal grandfather, apparently), the man who had, though no one save three people truly knew, miraculously been able to keep up with three generations of Skywalkers as his Padawans. His wife, Duchess Satine, was embracing their daughter, Rey's mother.

And watching all of it, but especially Rey and Ben, with an approving smile, was her grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. He was the only person who knew her and Ben's secret, and, instinctively, she knew that he had kept it all these years. She looked up at him, their eyes met, and he grinned, giving her a knowing wink.

 _A/N: So that's the end…for now. I plan to do some one-shots to fill in the gaps between the last chapter and this. And, yes, Luke's wife is Obi-Wan's daughter, and, yes, her name is very similar to Mara (as in Mara Jade). I was lazy, and Myra sounded good._

 _Also, in case you wanted to know (you probably didn't, but anyway), here's a timeline for when everything happened in this AU. I'll use the Battle of Yavin calendar, even though the Battle of Yavin didn't happen, just so everyone is on the same page and you know when I'm talking about._

 _19 BBY: Palpatine killed; Luke and Leia born._

 _18 BBY: The restriction on marriage in the Order lifted._

 _17 BBY: Myra Kenobi born._

 _14 BBY: Snoke killed by Obi-Wan and Ani._

 _2 BBY: Twins meet Han._

 _2 ABY: Leia and Han marry._

 _5 ABY: Ben born._

 _9 ABY: Luke and Myra marry._

 _15 ABY: Rey born._

 _Of course, various adventures happened in the middle. I'll probably cover some of those in one-shots._


End file.
